Thanksgiving yumminess...

 

 

rub a dub dub...bath time fun!

Owen LOVES bath time. He loves to lay on his back and on his tummy-he is my little fish. He is learnign to hold up the number two as you can see =)

 

 

 

Breathe in breathe out

This is what our days and nights have looked like the past 10 days. Owen had a bronchial infection and had to have breathing treatments. The first few times were challenging, but after that he would actually clap and say "YAY!" when it was time.

 

 

Such a BIG guy!

As of late I have been confronted on the fact that I almost have a 2 year old boy. This afternoon was a perfect reminder of that fact, as I was putting Owen down for his nap and the kind of hug he gave me. We call hugs "squeezes" in our family..."Owen can mommy have a squeeze?" and usually it involves him laying his head on our shoulder for one quick second. Not this afternoon. We did our normal nap time routine: changed his diaper, sat in the rocker and read a book, let HIM turn off the light...right before I put him in his crib I asked him for a squeeze and my boy wrapped his tiny arms around my neck and squeezed me tight. Melt melt went my heart.

He also showed me big signs of being such a big boy when he stood in front of the toilet a few times this past weekend. He lifted up the seat, pushed up his shirt, and tried getting his man parts out-he couldn't really figure that one out! He was copying how his daddy goes potty YES potty!!! So, Joe and I sat him on the toilet both times, asking him if he needed to go, and he just sat there! But, that's OK, he get's it kinda! He knows that's how big boy's go potty and he is so quickly trying to be a big boy.

Now, if I could only help him understand that big boys don't throw BIG tantrums...=)

Sleepy time!

I haven't posted a sleeping O picture in a LONG time. I took this a few days ago when I went to check on the boy before heading to bed. Take note how he is sleeping side ways and how his feet are between his crib slats...hitting the wall! These sweet babies grow so fast, gosh I can't stand it!

 

Just keepin them healthy

Owen loves brushing his teeth these days. It is usually is not a fight, and he loves it when Joe and I are brushing with him.

Oh, and these are my favorite PJ's-his first pair of old man jammies from Grammy!

 

 

 

 

Pandora

I love it! if you don't have it on your computer, you should! it's free and you can set up different play lists. perfect for rainy gloomy days, like today!


www.pandora.com

"Oh, no!"

I have done something bad! I have instilled the fear and paranoia of bugs into my son!!! Since we have moved into our little "charmer"of an old house we have had some encounters with some bugs and seen some evidence of critters that lived in the house before we did! It has been gross and disgusting!!! Our land lord has been amazing and has paid for a exterminators fees for us for the year! One thing I heard of when moving to the South 3 years ago was the warnings about such things. Until this house we have been so lucky in that area.

Back to my boy, he has watched me kill a hand full of cock roaches-the length of my pinky!!! It completely freaks me out, and i jump all of the place and sometimes have to smoosh the disgusting, creepy, nasty things a couple times!!! The last few times we have seen these bugs I will usually be in the kitchen doing dishes, or in today's case in my room folding laundry. Owen will usually be playing in his room and bouncing from there to where ever I am. All of a sudden I will hear him saying "Oh, no!" and find him stopped dead in his tracks pointing, and there the bug will be. Today I heard him saying "oh, no!" and I couldn't see anything, but he kept saying it and pointing to the base board. I tried telling him all was good, and nothing was there. He kept saying it and I checked back with him and sure enough...my nemesis was there. I ran for one of Joe's shoes and smashed the heck out of it! I have decided Owen is my little bug detector. =) Oh, and this ALWAYS happens when Joe is at work! The wonderful joys of living in an old house in the South!

Christmas Present idea

I love me a good deal, especially at Christmas time! I came across this deal on Amazon...some of my favorite magazines are on sale for a 1 year subscription!! My personal favorite magazine right now is Cooking Light and it's on sale for $5-for a whole years worth of their magazine!! Don't be surprised if you get a magazine subscription from me this year =) Thought I would share in case you know of a favorite magazine someone you know loves to read!

it's a long one...

Here's another video of Owen. I'm posting it for my peeps far away. He can be such a funny little guy and sometimes it can't be captured on the web cam. Soooooo here ya go!

Thumbs up, dude!

The Park in Autumn

 

Spaghetti face!

 

pumkpin yumminess!

We woke up Saturday morning craving waffles. I searched the cupboard for waffle mix and we had none =( then I decided to get creative and search for a recipe that included ingredients I already had. These were the results! Yummy pumpkin waffles, so much better than the mix!

 

 

Here is the recipe:
'
Deliciously Spiced Pumpkin Waffles


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 2/3 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl. In a second bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, and butter; beat well. Gently fold in the flour mixture. Spoon in about 3/4 cup of batter into the waffle iron. Cook each waffle for 4-5 minutes. This recipe makes approximately 5 waffles on my waffle iron.

ABC's and Super Why!

Owen and I have been working on the alphabet this week. He can repeat all letter's A to Z! (except for H for some reason!) We practice in the car, when brushing his teeth, and at meal times. I love it, I love watching how he is learning more and more each day. I know he is repeating me, but I think is getting it. We will be working on recognizing the letters very soon-which means mommy is going to get crafty!

Funny story from breakfast this morning. Owen was in his highchair in the kitchen and one of his favorite shows, Super Why, was on in the back round in the living room. Super Why is a great show. It's a great combo of having that super hero aspect-geared to both girls and boys, and still young enough. Plus, it's on PBS so it is educational. One character teaches ABC's and one of the other teaches spelling, one teaches problem solving and I can't remember what the other teaches. But, each show is focused on a book, like Jack in the beanstalk. So, anyway Owen is sitting in his high chair not watching the show, he was eating his delish oatmeal. All of a sudden I hear him reciting the ABC's!!! I started to say "Good job love bug" then I realized I wasn't prompting him to say them. Then I heard from the TV The Super Why Characters were saying their ABC's and he was saying them with the characters! It's amazing watching this little guy learn and pick up on what's going on around him. He is getting so big!!! So, thank you Super Why for being a show that makes this mommy happy her boy watches you. There are plenty of show's Owen will not be watching, but this one's a keeper!

Food

One more thing about fall that I love (other than the cooler weather and the leaves changing) is the inspiration to cook more. The older I get the more I enjoy cooking and making meals for my family and friends. This week I have made chicken pot pie and chili. Tonight I made Chicken Santa Fe. I have the genes...my grandma is a great cook, all my aunts are fantastic in the kitchen, and my mama has some skillz too! I love that those genes have been passed down to my sister and I, we both enjoy it. I will say Kim is much more adventurous with her cooking, where as I like and need to follow a recipe. I think I am going to make it a goal to find one new recipe a week and give it a try!

For anyone who likes Mexican food, and easy cooking, here is the Chicken Santa Fe recipe. It was a hit in my house. When Owen eats, I take notice and it will always be a meal I make again!

Cook Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:

* 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
* 2 cans (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 cup bottled thick and chunky salsa, your favorite
* 5 or 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation:
In a 3-1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker, mix together the black beans, corn, and 1/2 cup of the salsa. Top with the chicken breasts, then pour the remaining 1/2 cup salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will be dry. Sprinkle cheese on top; cover and cook until the cheese melts, about 5 to 15 minutes.
Serves 6.

Hello terrible 2's; it's NOT nice to meet you!

Oh, my! Owen is is in full force with tantrums, and trying to exert his will. I'm in full force mommy melt down mode. Our house is chaos! For the past week I have seen major changes in Owen, behavior wise. He is a determined little bugger and seems to have a will that is much stronger than mine. At dinner the other night he insisted on wanting one of his trains to play with at the dinner table. Toys at the dinner table are not allowed and I tried explaining that to my boy. He was fine for a minute and then realized, no he really did want that train with him. So, the tantrum began. It was BAD! He cried and cried and cried. Joe and I started ignoring him, and that made him even more upset. We ate in silence, and he cried. It was a principle thing now, I did not want to just hand over the train after we both had told him no. That would have been the easier thing to do, and then he would know he could cry always and and get what he wanted all the time. I finally told him to go sit in his room on his bottom and cry in there. When he was done crying Daddy would go talk with him. It was just bad! Halloween was much of the same, throwing fits at the church all night long. And, this morning...there is not even words. Let's just say there was a lot of crying, and not just from the almost two year old in the house!

I was talking to my mom and she gave me great advise. She reminded me to be consistent no matter what. She reminded me not to let him hear me complain about my bad days with him, when he can hear me. She reminded me to be strong.

I later was talking to my friend Cara and she too gave me wonderful advise. She reminded me in the midst of a tantrum to hold his hands together and tell him to have self control. This is something we did awhile back and it seemed to work. We have not done it in awhile and I think we need to go back to that. She reminded me it's NOT personal. This feeling is something I struggle and have shared my hurt feelings with Joe. She reminded me to make a HUGE deal when he does obey.

I have wonderful Godly women in my life that I am so thankful for their love and support. Especially in these challenging years as a parent. Before nap time we were at a crossroad for another tantrum. I very quietly got my composure and took all this advise to heart. I had Owen do self control hands, I stuck to my guns, I praised him when he obeyed. There is light at the end of the tunnel...