Happy Halloween!

Trunk or Treat

Thank you to Sharon Broome for this last picture

Dress Rehearsal

Halloween Party at Daycare

The stuff that dreams are made of

Can you eat just 20? Besides making my teeth hurt, candy corn is perfection. I have to limit myself because all that sugar goes right to my head. Last week I ate a few handfuls and then talked to a co-worker for over an hour non-stop (not even sure that I took a breath, it was just one long jumbled up sentence). After that I decided to go off the candy corn. A few days later, after a rough morning, I warned her that I was back on the candy corn (thankfully I controlled myself better the second time around).

I sent Andrea a Halloween package a few years ago. She later told me that as she was looking through the box she thought to herself, If she really loves me there will be candy corn somewhere in here. And you know, there was! Candy corn is love.

We are gearing up for Halloween. I bought a few bags of candy last night to pass out with the pretzels. I am looking forward to seeing all of the cute costumes at church. Ellen is going to be Cinderella and she is excited. We found a long, pretty dress that is more for dress up than Halloween (which means it is a lot better quality than some of the costumes we saw). She is going to look so cute!

I think we will carve our pumpkin on Saturday. It should be fun. And messy.

Happy Haunting!

Treats

Whitt's Wednesdays

Phillip recently reinstated Whitt's Wednesdays. They have a special on their pulled pork sandwiches on Wednesdays. We don't go every week but we would if we could!

"What's that Mommy?"

I seriously have no drawing skills. When Ellen used to ask me to draw her "something" I was usually at a total loss (and it was really bad if she asked for something specific). After only drawing houses, stick figures and shapes for months and months on end, I decided to educate myself a bit. Over the past year and a half or so I have slowly been learning how to draw basic things/animals thanks to Ed Emberley. I have 3 of his drawing books and put several more on my Christmas list for this year. The step by step instructions make it easy and almost foolproof. Almost. When Ellen wants to paint or color I usually grab one of the drawing books, white printer paper and colored ultra fine tip sharpies and we sit together and each create our own masterpiece. She used to say "Get your book Mommy" or she would even bring it to me, but now that she wants me to color with her more I haven't been practicing quite as much. While she painted with watercolors Sunday afternoon I pulled out Ed Emberley's Big Orange Drawing Book, my newest purchase, and got to work. My orange slice needs some tweaking but my orange tree was killer. One day soon Ellen will also be using Ed Emberley's books to help her draw things she thought she never could. Can't wait!

I am glad Ellen likes to color. The only drawback: once she colors on a page in a coloring book she cannot go back [at a later date] and continue coloring that same picture. We have a lot of pages in our coloring books that have maybe a shoe or a hand colored and that is all. What a waste! I have tried to convince her to finish the picture but she simply will not do it. "But Ellen, Cinderella really wants you to color her dress" doesn't work. Neither does flattery. I make it a point to start coloring those pages first, and with extra enthusiasm, but she avoids eye contact in those instances and tries to turn the page. Cold, cold heart.

Ellen's current drawings all consist of the same basic shape, kind of like a large oval, either colored in or outlined several times. She says she doesn't know what it is. Too funny! She got mad at Phillip for guessing so we just tell her we like her picture and leave it at that.

On the mend

Ellen and I are home today. Last night was rough. Rough x 10. The good news is no fever since the middle of the night, she is eating some, she took a super long nap (she is still snoozing as I type this) and she has seemed more like herself (active and spunky). She is still congested but we are using Mucinex (per her doctor) and that is helping a lot.

Ellen really likes play doh and it has become something we do every time she is home sick.

We tried taking a nap on the couch for the first time. I knew it wasn't going to happen but it was fun while it lasted. She kept getting up to do things. She had to pet George, then pet Lucy, drink water, put a puzzle away, check to see if the sun was out, go potty, drink more water, fluff her pillow, fluff my pillow, give her stuffed animal a kiss, and my personal favorite, stretch. After a good 30 minutes of this nonsense I decided it was time to go upstairs and get serious about sleep.

Time to start making dinner... Phillip will be home soon. Yay!

Under the weather

We had a good weekend but it didn't end well for Ellen. She woke up at 2:00 am last night/this morning with a fever and the poor thing could not get comfortable, even after a dose of Motrin and lots of Mommy-love (the congestion didn't help). She finally fell asleep in our bed but it was a long night for all of us. Phillip stayed home with her today and it will be my turn tomorrow if the fever persists (we try to alternate as much as possible). She didn't nap at all this weekend and I know she was worn out after all of our running around. I think the days "off" will do her a world of good, I just wish the circumstances were different. I am concerned that she is already [so soon] falling back into the same pattern of congestion that leads to sinus pressure, fever, loss of appetite, upset stomach and sometimes ear infections or strep. I know it is that time of year but I was hoping she would stay unscathed throughout the Fall months. It is going to be a long winter for sure.

Serious about her art

Song leader extraordinaire

3 Events, 1 Day

We had a fun day at a local Fall Festival (before the festivities officially began due to event #2), Savannah's 4th birthday party and at Katie Beth's Fall Harvest party.

Slide at the end of the maze

This would have made for a great picture of Ellen but due to the sun being in her eyes I was not able to get a good shot. She either had her eyes closed or looked like she was being tortured.

Pump It Up was the perfect place to celebrate Savannah's birthday. We had fun jumping and playing with the kids even though they wore us out, especially Phillip.

This is before I started sweating it up

Katie Beth's Fall party was great! The kids played on the swing set, painted pumpkins, rolled down a hill (hilarious), went on a hayride, broke a pumpkin pinata and ate lots of yummy treats. Ellen had a little accident (as I was putting her on the potty) but thankfully we had an extra pair of pants in the car. Too bad the pink leggings didn't match her cute kitty shirt.

All three of us were worn out by the end of the day's events. Ellen did not take a nap so there were some late afternoon tears shed over candy and why she was not allowed to eat more than one piece. She eventually got over it but she has a one track mind when it comes to candy (and come early evening, she cries at the drop of a hat when she goes without a nap).

Not the best day to go off caffeine

When your car doesn't start it is a bit scary.  When you discover this at 4:30 pm, going home time, you start to panic a little.  When you and your spouse work together and therefore drive together it makes things complicated.  When you work far from home and daycare is near said home it makes things even more complicated.  When you only work with a few people who live out your way and they have all gone home for the day all hope is lost!

Thanks to friends Ellen was picked up from daycare and we got transportation home.  Thanks to friends we had help jumping the car and getting it to a mechanic. (hopefully it is just the battery)

Thanks friends.

Venting: Turf Wars

Our neighbor ruffled my feathers last night and it really put me in a sour mood. The rude comments and dirty looks are too much. We do not let our dogs bark it up outside. We are not those people. If they start to bark we call them in. But they always bark at our neighbors when they are in their backyard. I am sure this is annoying to them (it definitely annoys us) but we do not let it go on and on, we stop it immediately. And we try to not let them out if there is any proof of life on the other side of the fence. Sometimes this is unavoidable since they also have a dog and the man is a yard workaholic (nothing wrong with that but it means George and Lucy spend most of their time inside, thus continuing the cycle). I guess it wouldn't bother me if I knew we had been negligent but we have always been very conscious of our dogs and their noise level.

Not to point fingers but Lucy is the main instigator. She is very protective of our yard and looks for/hopes for a reason to render her protective services. We wouldn't even have this problem if we just had George. But Lucy starts barking and then George joins in. He is a follower (a sweet, lovable follower).

The situation is frustrating. I know it seems like a simple fix, teach them not to bark at the neighbors or their dog. Easy, right? Wrong! (atleast in our experience). We need you Cesar Millan!

On a slightly related note, with Ellen constantly asking for a treat it's like we have 3 dogs. Atleast she doesn't bark at the neighbors.

Putting the events of the day behind her

After a long, hard day at daycare, Ellen likes to relax, drink milk and watch Dora. And she only has love for Dora these days. She used to watch Arthur in the mornings but he and his friends have been replaced with Dora and her friends. I really miss Arthur.

Halloween pretzels?

Phillip was disappointed when he discovered the Halloween "candy" I bought for Trunk-or-Treat. Don't worry kids, you will get a little something sweet along with your salty.

Friendly game of tag

Hey Dad, chase me

Tag. You're it!

In honor of the playoffs

"You are not the player. I am the player."

Breaking new ground

This is the result of me asking Phillip to take my picture with the pumpkins... an over the shoulder, behind the back shot. It's a new kind of photography where you don't look at the camera or at the person/thing you are photographing. We're going to be rich!

Rounding out 2010

A good friend's birthday party

A Fall Festival/Party at a daycare friend's house

Carving pumpkins

Halloween party at daycare

Halloween

Trunk or Treat at church

Tea with the Independence High School cast of Beauty and the Beast

Company Picnic at the Nashville Zoo

Thanksgiving

Work Holiday Party (for my department)

Christmas Lights at Opryland

Going home

Christmas

New Year's Eve

and finally 2011! (I am determined to make this a good year)

Don't cry over spilt milk... or Fruit Loops

Q: Why was Ellen crying this morning?

A: Her bag of cereal, ziploc snack size, was not full enough

Bike Rider

Aiming for the crunchy leaves

She makes this face a lot

Smooth operator

Innocent until proven guilty

I own very few pieces of good jewelry but what I have is special. Phillip bought me small diamond hoop earrings for Valentines Day the first year we were married and I have worn them almost every day since (I sometimes sleep and shower in them too). When I do take them off I am not in the habit of always putting them in the same place, so when they first went "missing" I wasn't too worried. I figured they would turn up soon. The last place I remembered seeing them was on my nightstand (I always take them out when I am Ellen's beauty shop victim). Phillip and I both looked for the earrings and asked Ellen several different times if she had seen them. She said no. After a few days of searching... that is when I started to worry.

Phillip decided to "think like a kid", which isn't much of a stretch for him (ha!), and look in places Ellen might have put them. She isn't the type to take things like that but we had exhausted all other possibilities. He looked all through her toy baskets and purses. I am not sure why he thought to check the drawer we keep our extra bedding in but good thing he did. My earrings were tucked in the corner under a few folded pillowcases. As soon as he saw them he knew Ellen was the culprit... and she admitted that she had put them "in a special place so Mommy couldn't find them so it would be a surprise". Phillip told Ellen that the surprise was on her because based on her initial reaction, he thinks she may have forgotten about putting them there. I really wish I had been in the room with them when he found the earrings. On my way upstairs I overheard part of their conversation and it was so funny (I could tell Ellen thought she had done something nice for me).

I am now very careful with all of my rings and earrings. I don't want anymore surprises :)

February 2008 - 5 months old

Look at those cheeks!

Mmm Mmm Good!

Last night I made Pioneer Woman's Roasted Vegetable Minestrone. Delicious is the adjective that comes to mind. If you like vegetables and you like brothy soups I think you will enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients
2 whole Zucchini, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
2 whole Summer Squash, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Stems Removed And Quartered
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons (additional) Olive Oil
2 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced (not Peeled)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 stalks Celery, Sliced (leaves Included)
8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 cans Cannelini Beans, Rinsed
1 cup (heaping) Cut Green Beans, Fresh Or Frozen
1-½ cup Medium Or Small Pasta Shells, Uncooked
1 can (14.5) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
Salt And Pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoons Turmeric (optional)
Parmesan Cheese, Shaved

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Toss cubed zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in a bowl with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Arrange onto two sheet pans (to avoid crowding) and roast in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until brown and black parts begin to show. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery and stir to cook for 3 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Add cannelini beans and green beans. Cook on low for five minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional five minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir, and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Check for seasonings, adding salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Add roasted vegetables at the very end. Stir and allow to simmer and heat for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to check seasoning! Add more broth if necessary to increase liquid amount.

Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty Italian bread.

------------------------------------

When I try a new recipe for the first time I rarely deviate from the ingredients/directions provided, but this time I made a few minor changes:

• I added 1 can of shoepeg corn


• I used 2 cups of uncooked pasta shells instead of 1.5


• I added 2 more cups of low sodium chicken broth - making a total of 10 cups

Next time I will:

• Roast the vegetables longer - I cooked them about 15 minutes but they still were not very brown/black (the mushrooms looked done but the squash and zucchini needed more time)


• Add the green beans earlier (I used fresh and they did not get cooked, very crunchy)


• Quarter the mushrooms for the roasting process so they are close to the same size as the squash and zucchini but slice the quartered pieces in half after they cool (and possibly use less mushrooms). This is just a personal preference. I am a mushroom liker, not a mushroom lover.

Bon Appetit!

Things I want to remember about Ellen

Wants Phillip to be a skeleton for Halloween and me to be a princess

"I love you so much"

Bracelet = bracelip

We just recently found out that she is the only one at school that eats her vegetables at lunch. The teachers try to get the other kids to eat their veggies by bragging on Ellen. I am so proud :)

She can stall with the best of them

Ellen still talks about our trip to North Carolina (July), especially the Lazy Five Ranch. We had so much fun that week and it obviously made a lasting impression on her.

Independent

A good helper

Instead of just asking who bought a specific toy for her and where they bought it (what store), she also wants to know what aisle it was on.

When we are in the car she asks me what I am doing about 15-20 times, sometimes more depending on where we are going (how far away it is). It gets old quick.

Really likes to sing

Tells us she needs her privacy whenever we try to open the door while she is in the bathroom

Very much a Mommy's girl lately

Scoots her chair right next to mine at mealtimes (would prefer to sit on my lap)

We bought her a new pair of tennis shoes at the Nike outlet on Saturday. She wore them to church Sunday night. As she was running down the sidewalk she called back to us, "These shoes are super fast!" (Phillip says that whenever he got new shoes when he was a kid, he always thought they made him faster).

When she swings, she wants to go "super high"

Ellen does not like it when there is a change in plans. She likes her routine and she's sticking to it.

Comes home from daycare with sand/dirt in her shoes on a regular basis

"Let's play something together. That would be fun." (in a convincing tone)

She still asks "why" a lot but we can tell she is paying more attention to what we say

Her favorite thing to do is play at home with her toys and stuffed animals

Not much for talking on the phone

Hayride at the Rice's

Long sleeves, sweaters, jackets, pants, jeans, leggings, tights, warm socks and shoes... we are ready for some cooler weather to come our way. We had a taste of Fall and now temps are back in the 80's. We went from AC, to nothing, to heat, to nothing, back to AC... and I imagine we will be cranking up the heat again before too long (atleast at night).

One way to forget about the fickleness of Fall is to sit by an open fire and gaze into the night sky. Smores help too.

Of all things, Ellen's favorite part of the evening was swinging. She also enjoyed jumping on the trampoline with 3 other sweet girls around her age. When it came time for the main event, the hayride, Ellen said she was scared and did not want to go. I was a bit disappointed but it was getting late so we loaded up and headed home.

Our personal chef

Saying cheese for the camera but not looking at the camera (typical)

Tasting the chili Phillip made

Caught with 2 treats