Miserable Little Baby

I have not been able to update my blog because Kaden came down with a fever Sunday night and was up most of the night. I took him to the doctor Monday, and he had a terrible ear infection in both ears. He has already been on 4 different antibiotics since the beginning of January for ear infections. The last thing they could give him was injections of Rocephin (a powerful antibiotic) which is also VERY painful. He received one Monday, yesterday, and again this afternoon. As of this afternoon the infection is not any better. If you pray, I would really appreciate a quick prayer for baby Kaden that this last shot works and his ears clear up. It is AWFUL seeing him in so much pain and then having to get those painful shots. We have an appointment with the ENT Friday. I am hoping they can get him scheduled for tubes as early as next week. Oh, and did I mention that my husband has been out of town all week? He is supposed to get back late tonight. I have a whole new respect for single moms......

My Baby is 10 month old!

So, I have been trying to lose some weight over (over 6 pounds in 3 weeks, Yeah Me!) Anyway, these 100 calorie packs have been a lifesaver for me!!!! I still get to have a sweet treat, but in a very portion controlled, calorie controlled way. Love them!!!!



Tuesday, February 23rd.

Last night was my book club, and this is the book that we chose to read. I would very highly recommend it. It is NOT a feel-good novel. In fact, it may have been one of the saddest books that I have ever read. It is about France's involvement in the Holocaust. The story alternates between a young girl in the 1940's and a modern day journalist that is investigating the French round-up. Don't let the topic scare you off. It was riveting.



Monday, February 22nd.

Today was Kaden's 10 month birthday, so time for his couch pic! =)

Finally had a scrappy weekend! =)

Sunday, February 21st

I took this picture of Owen this morning. He was being silly and playing with the pots and pans. He thought he was hilarious when he put the pan on his head.



Saturday, February 20th

Today I started on the "beach" mini-album that I am donating for a silent auction. I got the first page started and decided to take a picture of the "almost" bare product for my POTD. I hope to finish it later in the week.



Friday, February 19th

Several months ago Dolly Parton's Imagination Library became available to our county. It is Dolly's wish to improve literacy and make sure that books are available in the home. Visit www.imaginationlibrary.com to see if this program is available in your community. It is for children ages birth to 5 years old. Your child will receive a nice hard back book in the mail every month, and it is completely free!!!!! Both of my boys get a book each month. Owen gets so excited when he get his mail!

Losing Sleep because of those Olympics =)

Well, my title says it all. I am staying up waaaay to late watching the Olympics. Wednesday was the best day yet, though. It was so exciting watching Lindsay Vonn win the downhill, and her reaction was priceless. And how about Shaun White? All I can say is WOW!

My POTD for Wednesday, February 17th.



Tuesday, February 16th. Today was actually Owen's birthday. Since he is OBSESSED with all things related to cars, trucks, trains, etc... we took him to Pizza King. They have a train that delivers the drinks to the tables. He absolutely LOVED it. He only ate one small square of pizza because he was turned around waiting for the train to come by the entire time we were there.

Birthdays, Valentines, and Snow, Oh My!

Here I am playing catch-up again. Work was crazy last week with all of the snow days, 2 hour delays, and Valentine's party, and then Owen's birthday was Saturday, and of course Valentine's Day yesterday.... I need another weekend! I am going to work my way backwards with my POTD.

Monday, 2/15 - Well we got another 6 inches of snow last night and this morning. I am so ready for spring. This a picture of our labrador, Lucy, standing on the back deck.



Sunday, 2/14 - Yesterday we took Owen to Build-a-Bear for the first time. He quickly picked out the bear he wanted, and had a great time helping make him. His favorite part was giving him a "bath." He didn't want to leave the tub area.



Here's one more picture from yesterday.... because I am shameless, I guess. =) I spent $15 on this cute little shirt, and he got to wear it one day. I want more people to see it. =)



Saturday, 2/13 - Today was Owen's Mickey Mouse birthday party. I got him this smaller cake because I didn't want to risk him spitting all over the big cake when he blew out the candle. I got this picture as he was preparing to blow out the candle.



Friday - 2/12

I am super blessed to have an AWESOME daycare provider. I stopped on the way home from work to pick up these flowers for Owen to give to Jeannine.



Thursday, 2/11 - I am lucky that my niece, Meredith, is at the same school in which I teach. I walked down the hall and snapped this picture during her V-Day party.



Wednesday - 2/10 - Tonight I was playing around on Facebook wondering what my POTD should be. I decided to take a pic of my laptop. I love that thing! =)



Wow! I think I am caught up. Hopefully I won't go that long without updating again!

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

This is another recipe that I got from the 365 days of crock-pot cooking blog.

Salsa Chicken with Black Bean Soup

1 lb. chicken (I used frozen chicken breast tenderloins)
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup frozen corn
1 16 ounce jar salsa
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced avocado (optional)

Place everything in the Crock-Pot and cook on low for 8 hours

I take the chicken out before serving and either shredded it or cut it into bite size chunks. I then add the optional ingredients on top each bowl. My 2 year old really enjoys this soup too. Sometimes I add white pepper or red pepper flakes to my bowl to spice it up a bit.

Snow, Snow, and More Snow!

We woke up to several inches of snow this morning, and we are expecting more tonight. They have already called off school tomorrow, so it looks like another day at home for us. I took this picture of one of the chairs on the back deck this evening.



Monday 2/8 - Today's POTD is of my first shipments of ink pads from the Stampin-Up share that I am in. It is fun to come home to scrappy packages on your front porch!



On a side note, I haven't posted any recipes lately, so be sure to check back tomorrow for the soup I plan to make for tomorrow night's dinner. =)

Go Colts!!!!!!!!!

I am an Indiana girl, and we are anxiously awaiting the kick-off to Superbowl in a few hours. I sure hope Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts can get the job done in Miami! I am usually the one behind the camera, but I wanted to get a picture of Owen and me in our Colts attire. My husband took lots of photos, but my favorite happened to be the "un-posed" one.... hence my POTD.



Saturday 2/6 - My POTD was of Kaden in the bathtub. He loves his bathtime!



Friday 2/7 - Once a month I host a "Kid's Night Out" Parents pay $15 to bring their 1st grader to the house and I provide 2 hours of academics and crafts and a half-hour movie and snack. The kids have a great time and so do I. This is a picture of one of my students working on spelling.

Cheese!!!!!

Tonight we were over at mom's house for dinner, and I was trying to get a picture of Owen on his Lightning McQueen car for my POTD. Well Brooke started hanging upside off of the side of the couch and yelling,"Cheeeeese!" So here is my POTD.




Wednesday 2/3 - Kaden had his 9 month well-baby check today. He is 19lbs. 15oz and 28 inches long.---- close to the 50 percentile for both, and he only had to get one shot. =)



Tuesday 2/2 - Today was another one of those days when I had no idea what my POTD would be. I decided to take a picture of my gloves that I wore home from my meeting. I bought these gloves several years as a small splurge to myself. They are leather and lined with cashmere. I hate cold weather, but these gloves make it a bit more bearable.

Super Simple Invitations

Today's POTD is of the super simple birthday invitations that my sister and I made for Owen's 3rd and Brooke's (my niece) 2nd birthday. We are doing a Mickey/Minnie Mouse theme. We had a bit of a hard time with the invitations because we didn't want them to be either too boyish or girly, AND most of top row of buttons on my Cricut won't work. =( Anyway, we had fun making them.

I'm Here! I'm Here!

Wow! I haven't had the opportunity to update my blog in several days. I have been trying to get some things that I have been putting off around the house completed, and time simply gets away from me. I am using this blog as a way to document and record my thoughts until I can get them into an album so here are my past several days.

Wednesday 1/27 - my sweet husband brings me flowers from time to time. This is a picture of the yellow roses he surprised me with Tuesday.




Thursday 1/28 - In an effort to try to start eating a little bit healthier, I threw this fruit salad together to go with dinner last night. I love to cut up fresh banana in it.



Friday 1/29 - My sister, Stephanie came over so that we could work on the invitations for Owen and my nieces b-day party. WOW! I actually do craft!



Saturday 1/30 - We woke up to about 3 inches of snow on Saturday morning, so I snapped this picture of the tree in our side yard.



Sunday 1/31- I took this picture of the boys today in their (almost) matching pajamas. I think it is soooo sweet! =)

He's on the Move!

Today's picture was of Kaden "cruising" down the couch. He just pulled up for the first time last week, and now he is really moving. I was cracking up trying to take this picture because he was moving towards me and laughing.



Monday's picture was of batteries. Man do we seem to go through a lot of those things around here. Owen has a lot of traditonal toys..... trucks, cars, Play-Doh, Lincoln Logs, etc.... but there is no denying the allure of those flashing, noisy toys.

Taco Soup

This is the soup that I made in the Crock-Pot yesterday. I can't claim this recipe because I found it on-line

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained (optional)
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes with chiles
2 cans of corn
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch dressing.

Place meat in the Crock-Pot and sprinkle dressing and taco seasoning over it. Add the other ingredients and cook on low all day.

My tips: I used 96% lean ground beef and rinsed it with water after draining it to further decrease the fat. I figured since it was cooking for so long in the spices that the flavor wouldn't be too compromised. I also added shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a few crushed up tortilla chips to each bowl before serving. I think that all soups taste better the second day, but I think it was especially true for this one.

My Baby is Growing Up Too Fast!

Each month on the calendar day that Kaden was born, I place him on the couch with the same stuffed bear and take his picture. Thursday was his 9 month birthday and also happens to be the first time that he "pulled-up" to something. My little boy is growing up too fast!!!!!



Friday's picture is of my niece, Brooke. I just love taking pictures of her with those big expressive brown eyes. When I took this she was pouting on the floor because she was in time-out.



Saturday I didn't know what to take a picture of, so I decided to make my iPhone the subject. I got it for Christmas, and I LOVE it!



Today we went over to my sister's house to watch the Colts game. I took this picture of the kids playing with the game on in the background. I am soooo excited that the Colts will be going to the Superbowl in 2 weeks!!!!

Cheese Tortellini Soup

I meant to post this recipe earlier this week, but with Kaden getting sick I just never got around to it. I made this on Sunday, and it was so very good. I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com, but then I modified it to our taste.

Cheese Tortellini Soup

48 oz. chicken broth
14.5 oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a small onion
16 ounces of cheese tortellini, thawed
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
2T. fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Saute the onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil until tender. Add broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the spinach, and tortellini, and Parmesan cheese and turn heat down to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes. I grated additional Parmesan cheese over each bowl before serving.

This was a really tasty soup. Even my 2 year old kept saying, "Mmmm, Yummy!" while he was eating it. =)

One Sick Little Baby

Sunday morning Kaden woke up with a fever and very congested. I took him to the doctor and he had RSV, a double ear infection, and an eye infection. The poor little guy was completely miserable Sunday and all day Monday. I took this picture of him napping on Daddy.



I wasn't sure what to use for the POTD for Tuesday. I saw this magazine laying on the table and decided to go with it. I love to read magazines because I can pick them up and read for a few minutes (about what I have time for these days) and then put it right back down.



Wednesday's picture is of my mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies. I admit that I am "break and bake" sort of girl when it comes to cookies. While I love to cook, I do not like to bake. That is what makes these cookies such a treat. I thought they positively begged for a cup of coffee to be enjoyed along side them..... in my favorite cup, of course. =)

Playing Catch-Up

Wow! We have been busy the past few days. My poor blog has been neglected. I took Kaden to the immediate care center this morning because he wasn't feeling well yesterday and then woke-up with a fever this morning. The doctor said he has a mild case of RSV (two kids in his daycare have it.) You can't really do much except treat the fever and try to keep him comfortable. Here are my pictures from the past four days.

Thursday, January 14th: Owen grabbed the sheet off of his bed and layed down on the couch. It didn't matter that our labrador, Lucy, was already there. She is such a good dog.



Friday, January 15th: Owen is completely obsessed with cars. This is a picture of him over at my mom's house after he had lined up all his cars. I have a feeling this won't be the only POTD with Owen and his cars.



Saturday, January 16th: Today was Owen's first swim lesson at the YMCA. He did a good job.



Sunday, January 17th: Today's picture is one I wish I didn't have to take. Owen comes out the kitchen saying, "Uh-OH, Uh-OH. Bubbles are coming out of there." I had no idea what he was talking about until I walked in the kitchen and saw bubbles overflowing from our dishwasher. Hopefully it was isolated incident because I know that I happen to overfill the Jet-Dry container. Owen got a lot of enjoyment in watching the bubbles spill, anyway. =)



Be sure to check back tomorrow when I post the recipe for the cheese tortellini soup that I fixed for dinner tonight.

I LOVE a Great Bargain

Yesterday I had to drive to Indianapolis for a teacher conference. We stopped at some outlet malls on the way back. I popped into the Coach store, and they were having an awesome sale. I hadn't bought myself a new Coach purse in a couple of years, so I was due. =) Anyway, I got this cute black purse that was originally priced at $348 for $106! I just happened to have $85 of my Christmas money in my purse, so Merry Christmas to me! I rarely buy anything for myself these days, so this was fun! I find it funny that there is thread on the Cricut message board right now that asks if you would buy a new cart or Coach purse given the choice I guess that answers that question!.... Although I did get 3 new carts for Christmas.



My POTD for today is of the cute snowman pillow that I keep on my couch. When I take the Christmas stuff down, I put the snowman stuff up and keep it up until the end of February. This little guy just makes me smile when I look at him.

Recipe Monday

So I mentioned last week how much I love to use my Crock-Pot on Monday. It is nice to come home on the first day back to work and have dinner waiting. Today I made TDF (to die for) Roast. It is so simple and absolutely wonderful. I have given the recipe to many people,and everybody has raved about it. I myself got the recipe from a wonderful lady that I "met" on babycenter.com. in June 2006. We were both pregnant with our boys at the same time and were posting on our birth board. There is a group of about 15 of us that have moved to a private board. We have become quite close even though most of us have never met in person. I love how the internet can bring people together!!!!

TDF Roast
1 package ranch dressing
1 package Italian dressing
1 package brown gravy
Roast (I usually use chuck) however big you need for your family
vegetables (I use a small bag of baby carrots and whole mini portabella mushrooms)
1/2 cup water.

I rub the dressing and gravy into the meat and then place everything in a Crock-Pot on low. Cook all day.

Tonight I fixed mashed potatoes to serve with the roast. I even peeled and cut the potatoes and put them in cold water in the fridge last night, so I wouldn't have to do it this evening. Sometimes I put sliced potatoes in with the roast and let them cook all day.

Oh, and I have a new respect for people that "stage" food to be photographed. This doesn't look very good, but I promise it is. Try it, and let me know what you think.

We Have a Crawler!!!!

Kaden has been scooting around on his tush for a few weeks now, but he officially started crawling today..... It is still the army crawl, but he gets to where he wants to go. Owen is going to be ticked because we have to start closing the gate at the top of the steps. That means he won't be able to walk down to the basement anytime he wants to anymore.

Science Center Fun

We made good on our promise to get out of the house today and took Owen to the Louisville Science Center. We are members, so it is nice to be able to go over, spend an hour or so, and leave without feeling like we didn't get our "money's worth." I like the fact that they have a large room with activities that are only for children six and under. Owen had the most fun at the water activity table. He did really enjoy trying to get enclosed in a bubble with Daddy, though.

Second Day at Home

So I am bit reluctant to post today's POTD. I am normally a pretty organized, neat person. I don't like clutter and mess. You sure wouldn't be able to tell it by this picture. Today was our second snow day and the second day that I was home all day with the boys by myself. The roads were much better today, but the windchill hovered around zero all day, so we stayed put. Owen actually got out some of the toys he hasn't played with in a long time. He found them by completely dumping his toy baskets all over my living room floor. When my husband walked in with pizza he said, "Holy Cow! I don't know whether to eat first or clean up this mess!" ---- He is actually cleaning up while I sit on the couch and type this (We did eat first =))
Tomorrow we plan to take Owen to the science center so that he can run around and play for a while. He and I are both ready to get out of the house for a few hours.

Snow Day

So we got our first snow day of 2010. It snowed about 3 inches here today. That was enough to call off school. I just got the call that school is cancelled again tomorrow. I am glad that I got my planning done for next week on Wednesday so that I don't have to run into school over the weekend. I took this picture from my back door. I didn't have on shoes and was too lazy to go put them on. =)