Swimmingly Saturday

I was SO super duper overly excited to go swimming with the kids yesterday!! Because of the timing of Sophia's surgeries last summer, we have not gone swimming in two years! We skipped a whole summer of swimming last year, so we have lots of catching up to do.

Do you know that look? The clapping? The jumping up and down? It's the mom can we skip this picnic lunch thing and go swimming now look.

As I expected, Amelia jumped right into the deep end and Sophia was a little more timid, but after a while they were both having a blast.

Isn't she the absolute cutest?! This is my friend's daughter - aaah she's so sweet!!

Afterwards we got ice cream at Shakey's. Yum! If you live in Arkansas, order a Yellow Submarine from there - it's the best! Banana and pineapple in yanilla custard. Also, if you take your dog, they'll make a little doggy bowl by smearing a little vanilla custard in a bowl - Shadow, rest her sweet little soul, used to love trips to Shakey's in Fayetteville when we were in college. The only reason I broke my no-ice-cream-in-the-car rule, is that I need to wash their car seat covers anyway. Oh and because I really wanted some Shakey's. (BTW these pics were taken in my driveway, not while I was driving ha!)

Oh and check out Lynnette's photo challenge... I'm way behind on this, but we were supposed to post a picture of someone in our house making such a goofy face that we weren't going to post it. Here's Sophia's post-ice cream goofiness

I made Porter a new bed last night... I feel bad, he outgrew his last one months ago. He liked the bed; he did not like the photo session. You can't tell in the pictures, but the fabric is a really lovely fine-wale corduroy in burnt orange - it was originally $17 a yard, and I got it on sale - a yard and a half for $4!

Lots of Randomness

This post is going to be all over the place... but that's because it's been a really busy week, and I haven't had much time to post.

I feel like I spent half the week at the hospital - my friend's mother had a stroke on Monday (she's okay but will need at least two weeks of inpatient rehab) and my other friend who I posted about here had her twins (a perfect white-haired baby boy and a perfect black haired baby girl!) They're little bitty, but totally healthy and will go home with mama probably tomorrow. Amelia had to go back to the pediatrician for her wheezing, and I got an insane muscle spasm in my neck Friday and couldn't move my neck at all. I'm better, but poor Amelia is still sick (you can see the circles under her little eyes).

It took some convincing to get my friend and her mother to agree to go to the ER immediately on Monday. Time is crucial when someone is having a stroke, so please familiarize yourself with the signs and if you or your loved one experiences these symptoms - even if they seem to be improving - get to the hospital as soon as possible! The last few years of my grandfather's life would have been a lot different if he had gotten medical attention sooner after he suffered a stroke.

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Sophia and I spent this afternoon cleaning the house while Davis took Amelia to his brother's house. I wanted to post some tips on getting toddlers/preschoolers to help with cleaning. With Sophia it's like pulling teeth - this is a kid who at age two spent TWENTY MINUTES in time out rather than picking up seven markers and putting them back in the box. She just sat there the whole time, knowing that all she had to do to get up is put the markers in the box.

But here are some things that work, even with her:

• I ask her to "surprise me" - like walk out of the room and let her surprise me with how well she cleaned it up while I wasn't looking. This afternoon we decided to surprise Daddy with a totally clean house before he got back - the anticipation of his reaction, and the time crunch to get it done before he returned really got her moving.
• I fill a spray bottle with vinegar water, then give her a wash cloth and let her clean the appliances and cabinets in the kitchen and the front of the tub and tile walls in the bathroom. Even Amelia can do this - they love it, and the vinegar water really works well.
• Sophia and I hand-washed the floors today. I just filled a bucket with warm water, a little dish soap, and a little white vinegar, then we each got a wash cloth and washed the kitchen tile. For the hardwoods, I used warm water and Murphy's soap, but I didn't want her to do too much of it, so I just wrung out the wash cloth for her and asked her to clean spots that I couldn't reach - like the little area between the couch and the wall. She loved that she was doing something I couldn't do!
• For the kids' room, I set a timer and say "let's see if we can pick up all the dress up clothes before it goes off!" and then I set it again and say "okay let's pick up all the blocks before it goes off!" I keep going until everything is picked up.
• I give the girls Target brand Wet Ones and have them wipe down doors, baseboards, light switches, the base of the pedestal sink, etc.
• Both the girls love to help with laundry. Some things they're actually good at are putting all the towels in the washer, folding towels and blankets, and sorting their own clothes into lights and darks.
• I think their favorite is cleaning out the drains... we go around the house and pour some baking soda into all the sink/tub/shower drains, then I let them pour white vinegar down them - they bubble up fabulously! It actually works to clean them out and freshen them up.
• The Dust Buster is the best invention ever. Both the girls can vacuum under the couch cushions, Goldfish spills, and they will actually vacuum our whole office (the only carpeted room in our house).

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We also gave Porter a bath today. Sophia sat on the edge of the tub and helped me lather him up and massage him. He doesn't love bath time, but he LOVES being clean!

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I made chili tonight, so I thought I'd post my chili recipe. It's simple and mild and my family loves it. It takes only 30 minutes to make, so along with Jiffy cornbread muffins, it's a frequent weeknight meal at our house.

Chili

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cornmeal
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with their juices
1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

In a medium pan over medium heat, brown ground beef or turkey with onion and garlic. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, salt, cornmeal, and cumin, then stir into meat mixture. Add tomatoes and their juices, beans, and tomato sauce. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.

I think there should be a you know you're a blogger when, and the first item should be...when you start taking pictures of your dinner!

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And as promised, a discussion of this week's vegetable - the brussel sprout. My love of brussel sprouts began when I was a little girl. I would take one to my play kitchen and pretend it was a little head of lettuce for my dolls :) This is a super nutrient-rich vegetable, containing lots of vitamins K and C, folate, and fiber.

There's only one way I prepare them, and I've converted some brussel sprout haters with it.

Peel off the top layer, and wash, then cut fresh brussel sprouts in half. Steam in steamer baskets until they turn a deep green color, but be sure not to over cook - maybe three minutes or so. Melt butter in large skillet and transfer brussel sprouts to skillet. Saute until edges start to get a little brown. Salt and serve immediately.

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If someone knows why Blogger puts a billion ransom extra spaces between lines, and how to stop this insanity, PLEASE PLEASE let me know!!!

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Finally, I'm sorting through some old pictures, so check back later... I've decided to scan some in and supplement my 100 Things post with photographic evidence :)

Why I Didn't Post a Picture of the Girls Modeling Their New Outfits

Sophia got her rainboots on and immediately ran outside to stomp in puddles, before I even got the camera out.

And this is Amelia modeling

this is what happened when I tried to get a picture of Porter - he leapt up on my bed and gave me this dumb look (yes, my bed is unmade, but I promise I really have been making it every day!! this was just right before that!)

So there is the reason it's just easier to lay things on a nice flat, still table and take pictures of them ;)

P.S.

As I re-read this post, I realized something about today that has left me crying and full of regret, and a vow to do better tomorrow...

I was so focused on trying to get a decent picture of Amelia's outfit, that I missed how stinkin' CUTE my little girl is, and how precious she was, trying to show off and look beautiful ("foo-full").

When we made pizzas for family night, I was trying to hurry things along so we'd have time for our art projects, and totally missed the point of it all - we weren't just making dinner as quickly as possible (like most nights), we were having fun making pizzas together. I missed that.

Then while I was getting their paints out, they decided to have a parade. I chuckled and snapped a picture, and then abruptly cut it short so that we could get on with The Plan. Good grief, am I dense or what?! I still didn't get it.

While they were painting I was so worried about wiping paint off the table (and the dog), when I should have been painting with them. Missed it again.

Amelia has been sick (and not sleeping) so I haven't had a moment alone with Davis since we got back into town... I was so ready to have them in bed and spend some time with him, that I was grumpy (as Sophia would say) during bath and bedtime. I hurried them off to bed as fast as I could. And now I miss them so much, it's all I can do to keep from going in and waking them up and begging for a do-over.

Please, Lord, help me remember to be here. I want a table covered in paint and rich memories of being here with my family!!!

TGIF For Sure

It's been quite an exhausting week, mostly because I was super busy at work, but also because I'm suffering from insomnia and got maybe eight hours of sleep - all week.

Oh well, today made up for it! I had to be at work at 6:30 this morning for a presentation (which I don't even remember giving now, because I only got four hours of sleep last night) but then I also got to come home at 3:00pm and one of my very best friends (and maid of honor) was in town and came to visit with her new baby boy - he was a big ball of chub and oh so cuddly ♥ After they left, hubby and kids and I went to the park to enjoy the gorgeous weather. And for the past hour, since the kids went to bed, I've been partying at The Ultimate Blog Party and having the best time getting to know so many cool ladies out there in Blogland! It was enough to make me forget the whole week!

Anyway, I wanted to share a few random things...

First, check out the PERFECT piece of art I got for our bathroom:

how lucky am I to have an artist in the family? I had been scouring Etsy and everywhere else for a picture to go on that wall - when Sophia presented me with this work of art, I knew it would be just PERFECT!

Second, here's one of my all time favorite recipes. You know the kind that you just keep in the rotation? This is just a great weeknight meal, and my whole family loves it.

Vietnamese Fried Rice

2 bunches scallions

3large carrots

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

2 large eggs

2 T. Asian fish sauce

1 1/2 T. rice vinegar (if you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, they have the BEST)

2 T. sugar

5 cups chilled cooked white rice

2 1/2 T. safflower oil

2 T. minced garlic

1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

Finely chop scallions and coarsly shred carrots.

Rinse bean sprouts and trim stringy roots.

In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs.

In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.

Spread rice in a shallow dish and separate grains with a fork.

In a deep heavy skillet or wok, heat oil over medium high heat until hot and stir fry eggs until scrambled (about 30 seconds).

Add scallions, garlic and pepper flakes, and stir fry until fragrant (about 15 seconds).

Add carrots and bean sprouts and stir fry until carrots begin to soften (about 1 minute).

Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through (about 2-3 minutes).

Stir seasoning liquid and add to fried rice, tossing to coat.

Serve sprinkled with cilantro and peanuts.

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Third, I wanted to tell you about ANOTHER baby at our house... Porter the Wonder Dog! We got him for Christmas, and I've been meaning to post about him, because he's just an awesome pup. We lost both of our sweet dogs last year, and were really missing having a furry rambunctious creature in the house - yeah, we're dog people!

So, here's Porter at Christmas, right after we got him:

And here's what he's been up to since then:

He's gotten even bigger since those pictures, and after his bath tonight I'll have to take some new pictures. I've been working with him since we got him, but we started formal obedience classes this week, and he did great! He's such a smarty - he already knows sit, down, stay, watch me, leave it, and occassionally come.

Was that total Porter picture overload or what?? He's just so cute, I can't help it! Oh and we have NO clue what breeds he is - he's just an all-American animal shelter rescue cutie pie puppy dog :)

Not Me Monday

I did not feed my innocent giddy children half a box of Samoas RIGHT BEFORE BEDTIME, just because I just couldn't stand to have them in my house any longer.

I did not do a complete 180 on the issue of co-sleeping and go from selfishly wanting my bed all to myself (and my honey) to cherishing having my whole family of four snuggled up with me in a queen sized bed. Noooo, I'm way too stubborn to change my mind on something that big.

I did not eat hamburgers and onion rings and pizza and gelato and Girl Scout cookies all weekend. Nope, I'm on a diet, remember?

I did not slack on preparing for Sunday School an then totally wing it. So I have no reason to be thankful that three year olds are easy to impress.

I did not suddenly catch an overwhelming desire to over-ponytail my kid from MckMamma and put three ponytails in Amelia's hair.

I did not take pictures of my children sleeping several times this week, and I did not almost wake them up by picking them up and holding them when they were sleeping, and I did not spend hours just sitting there staring at their sweet sleeping faces.

I did not totally lose my cool and use completely inappropriate words in front of my three year old the other day, when Porter got a hold of a poopy diaper and tore it apart in the middle of the living room during the thirty seconds that I walked out of the room to put Amelia down for a nap. I also would never leave a poopy diaper just sitting on the floor like that, even for thirty seconds. And besides, I wouldn't change my poor kid's diaper on the bare hardwood floor.

Want to know what others have not been doing this week? Hop on over to check out all the Not Me Monday Fun on MckMama's blog!

A quick catch-up

I just wanted to do a quick recap of what's been going on in our busy little lives since I last wrote... I have a longer post to write, but it will have to wait until tonight, when the girls are asleep.

My, how life just passes us by when we're trapped in our own little pity party - looking back now, I see how very richly I am blessed. Praise God. He is so patient with me.

For Halloween, Sophia wanted to be a butterfly, and Amelia was a flower (even though when I first pitched the idea, Sophia asked me "can I sit on her?" Um, no.) It was our first year trick or treating, and they caught on quickly ;)

We finally did remodel our bathroom, but not in soothing blues like my earlier plan... it's pretty darn green, and we love it :)

We travelled to California for Thanksgiving, to spend some time with my family.

Christmas was amazing - what a joyful holiday with two kids old enough to know what's going on! And my Christmas gift... was Porter the Puppy!

That was him all cute and cuddly at 8 weeks old... he's now a very rambunctious, but still adorable, 14 week old monster (Sophia calls him "our very own ferocious beast!") I can't wait to tell you more about him.

Amelia turned TWO at the end of January! She had a sweet dress up party at our house, one that the girls re-enact almost daily, so I think it was a success :)

Well, that is a fast-forward to our lives today... now I need to run see what my two little girls and one little puppy are up to - I hear running water, which is never a good thing!