Dinner with Friends

We had some friends over last night for dinner. PJ and I made a roast with carrots (I only had a few left in the bag so we threw what we had in) and potatoes. I was planning on making garlic knots (from Annie's Eats) but got home to find out I had no flour! That does not happen to me! But it did... lol so instead a made a quick biscuit with Bisquick (I got this while I was pregnant and am not just trying to use the dang stuff up) sour cream & butter. They turned out super soft and delicious. I will probably make these again to finish off the Bisquick plus they would go fabulously with a sausage gravy and eggs for breakfast! And we finished the meal off with Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies. Sarah brought a bottle of wine and Ryan, her man, brought his mechanic skills to look at the heater on the truck. It was a good evening spent with good friends eating good food :) Does life get much better? Happy Thursday Friends!

After school play

Like I have said before its very important to us to get Brody outside and start a good "after school" routine. Here are a few pics from last weeks after school play :)

My 2 boys watching over the neighborhood :)Mommy and me on the swing!

He LOVES the little park a block away from our house. His favorites are the swing and the slide.

Happy Tuesday!

Strouds!

So a few weeks back we went to Strouds for PJ's (very late) birthday dinner. We all loved it. I think it was every ones first time there! But I do have to say, I don't believe anyone loved it more than Brody did! He got a bowl of their homemade chicken noodle soup.... I have never seen him get down to business so fast! Literally I could not keep up with how fast he was eating those chicken and noodles!

This is what he was doing most of the dinner :)

This is one of my favorite pictures if Brods to date :) Such a charmer!

Such a handsome boy! I am the luckiest mama in the world!

My 2 handsome boys :) Brody was way too into the sparkler.... can you tell by the waitresses face! lol

It was a great night with the best family!

Next Generation Reader

So I have to admit I do not read to Brody as much as I would like to. He is a VERY active boy so getting him to settle in with me and a nice book is a bit of a challenge. We do our best though! Playing on the living room floor opening and closing books.... he lets me get in a few words from each page then its off to the next one :) I was tidying up the living room while he was playing in his room, and I heard him babbling away. I popped my head in and was so pleased to see......He was reading to himself! Or at least pretending to :) Its so funny because even his babblings now sound like sentences. His voice raises and falls in time with his "sentence".

He wanted to share his Elmo book with me! It was one of the cutest things ever! :)

Fall....

It feels like fall here in KC. I had to wear a coat, not a jacket, out of the house this morning. I have my little heater running at work and a long scarf looped around my neck.... yep its fall.
I was so excited for fall to arrive.... but now that its here... I wish it would have waited a little bit longer. A big thing happens this fall, my little boy turns one! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful happy little boy! But looking back I can not believe how it has gone by so fast.... it is a bittersweet feeling. Obviously I am happy and thankful for the things listed above, but why did it have to go so fast??? It seems like yesterday we were driving home from the hospital, PJ white knuckled and concentrating so hard on the road with our precious cargo taking his first ride in the Camry. And then the Holidays came, Thanksgiving shared with family, A snow storm snowed us in so we stayed an extra night in Butler over Christmas, Bubs first winter solstice at the farm.... So many memories. The snow that kept me and Brody in the house, staying warm snuggling .... Making cookies to take to family Christmas. My mom and sisters snow days spent with me and Brody, some heading out to Oak Park mall to do some shopping some spent on the couch chatting away. It has hit me that this fall and winter will be much different. Instead of spending the season wrapping gifts and baking cookies with my little man , I will be spending 40 hours a week answering phones, making coffee, typing up transmittals, sorting mail for people... Some like me, some don't, some appreciate my happy go lucky personality, some don't, some stop to talk and say hi, some walk right past without saying hi.... This fall will be much different for me. I think about it now and it brings tears to my eyes thinking that I can not plan my holidays 24/7 around my family, friends and ones I love.... I know there are wonderful memories to be made this fall and winter, and I will still get to spend the holidays with family and friends.... but it will just not be exactly the same....

Easy Salad

Leftovers make for the best easiest salad! I had leftover steak from steak tacos. So I made an easy taco salad for lunch at work.

Green leaf lettuce, red and yellow peppers, tomato, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, a little bit of ranch and the leftover steak.

The delicious combo of the flavors was perfect for a filling lunch while getting in a few servings of veggies.

I could barely stop and take a picture I was chowing through this salad so fast!

Afterschool Play

I always try and think of fun things we can do for an hour or so on the weekdays after we get home from work. They have to be things that will keep us all entertained, which keeping PJ and Brody entertained together can be a little challenging. lol So lately Brods and I have been throwing down a blanket in the front yard and playing outside. The weather has been perfect for this and I love getting Bubs outside to look around and soak it all up like the little sponge that he is! I want him to love the outdoors, and choose playing outside over watching TV inside. So I figure its never to early to start! We grabbed a big beach towel, some toys and a Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine and headed out to the front yard :)

Bubs loves to play with my glasses. I should probably break that habit now....

Bubs was making a funny face, it looks like he was not having that much fun. lol But I promise he is :)

He is such a big boy! He learned to stack the rings that day!

I am the luckiest Mama in the world!

Tuesdays with Grace!

My friend Grace and I have made a standing date night every other Tuesday. We had lost touch for awhile and finally took the steps to start getting back together again! Grace has a wonderful daughter, Maddie. So every other Tuesday we are getting together with the kids to have a play date/dinner date :) Last night Mads and Grace came over to our place to help make dinner and play! It was a blast! Maddie was in such a great mood when she arrived! It def set the mood for our date :) Brody was so fascinated by Maddie. At first I could tell he was getting frustrated because he wanted to be a big boy and play with Maddie but he was a little hesitant, seeing this was the first time we have had another kiddo, none family member, in the house. But they ended up warming up to each other and playing so well together!

Maddie was so good at sharing the toys and being gentle with Mr. Brody!

We made a new recipe, Taco Pie, adapted from simpledailyrecipes.com. It turned out fab!
I will be using this simple family friendly recipe many times in the future. The 2 mommies were even able to enjoy a glass of wine!

It was a great night with the perfect company!

Thanks for the Tuesday date night ladies :)

Fall Garden

This is the first year I have attempted a fall garden. I had a bunch of leftover seeds from my spring garden that I decided to give it a shot and throw them in the ground! My dad lent me a garden tool, I'm not sure the name of it though... It worked great from breaking up the top layer of soil and uprooting weeds as well.

Radish (first 2 rows, big green) & Beet seedlings (second 2 rows, little green with purple stem)

3 random green bean seedlings popped up out of nowhere! They must have been dormant from last year? This is one of them. Green beans are one of the best things to watch grow because they are so dramatic and grow almost an inch in one day it seems like!

Green leaf lettuce. My lettuce got bitter very quickly during my spring harvest so i am hoping the cool fall weather will allow the lettuce to grow without bolting.

Carrot seedlings. I had leftover carrot seeds from 2009. I did not think they would grow but they totally surprised me! I have one little row of carrots. It is not a full row a few popped up here and there, but hey I will take it!

Tomato bloom. I have tomato plants that still are blooming here and there. They do not look so hot, lots of brownish limbs. But the ends look green and healthy with scattered yellow flowers :)

I will keep you updated with how things are looking here in a few weeks. Happy gardening!

Productive Saturday

I love getting up and being productive on Saturday mornings! We woke up around 7 this morning, that's sleeping in for us! It was wonderful :) We played on the floor with the little boy! I wish this was my everyday life! Hes has his play face on!

After playing I started on some spiced apples for bubs. They turned out delish! He had a few over lunch. I plan on freezing some because I made way too many for him to enjoy in the near future. My Granny had picked some apples at her assisted living facility and gave me a bunch. I had already made apple pie bars so decided to share the love :)

Yummy spiced apples!

Bubs went down for his nap and I headed out to do a little weeding in my garden! I have a fall garden that I planted seed for a few weeks back. There will be a post on that soon.

Oh I also defrosted some homemade queso and made my first batch ever of homemade tortilla chips! I will never buy a bag or corn tortilla chips again. These homemade ones blow the bagged ones out of the water! Bubs is down for his second nap and I am about to head out to get an outfit for Bubs pictures tomorrow.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday!

Big Boy Food!

Life is moving along. It is so nice to be home and settled back into our routine! I have been cooking a lot this week which has been wonderful as always :) Brody has even started partaking in my cooking! He had baked chicken chunks for the first time, and LOVED them! Then last night he had a little more chicken with a bunch of veggies I had sauteed and chopped up for him, carrots, cauliflower, celery and onion :) I think this might be it people, the transition to real food! At daycare yesterday he had Fruit Loops and looked like he was thoroughly enjoying them from the text picture I got yesterday from Courtney (our AWESOME! daycare provider) I don't know why but I have long been awaiting his transition to real food.... I am sure it has something to do with my love for anything and everything that has to do with food :) I just hope over the years he develops a well diversified palate.... so basically that he is not a picky eater (like his dad) lol

I love chicken!

Bubs is also now clapping on command! And he loves to clap :) He gets this huge goofy grin on his face and then says "yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy" while clapping away! And then of course we follow suit and join in :)
Life is great! Find something to clap for today, Oh wait TGIF! (insert clapping here)

Im back!

So our trip to Columbus was a blast! The buckeyes won, we had lots of good food and R&R :) But I have to admit i was SOOO ready to be home. Its weird, I use to LOVE to travel, but these days I am excited to go but then when I get to the destination I am chomping at the bit to get home. I know this time it was because my little man was at home. Life is just plain not as fun with out him there! We were gone from early Friday morning through Monday at noon when we landed at the airport. That's a long time for a new mama bear! We were off the plane and out the door before my mom got there. When she pulled up in the car the Bubs was still sleeping, but right as we were loading our luggage he slowly opened his sleepy eyes and saw his mommy and daddy, the smile that followed was priceless! I really wish I had my camera out and ready but of course did not and instead just relished in the moment :)

I mean don't get me wrong, we had A LOT of fun! But I think from now on I might be a family vacation type of gal :) Have a happy Wednesday!

Buckeyes here we come!

We are headed to Columbus, Ohio EARLY tomorrow morning! Our flight leaves at 5:30 AM tomorrow, so when I say early I mean, we will be leaving our house at 4 AM early! I am SO excited for this trip! But there are mixed feelings involved... it will be the first time that we leave Brody with family for more then one night. To be honest I am already getting anxiety about it :( I had a minor breakdown this morning followed by a short novel of an email to my brother in law to give him the run down of schedules, likes, dislike and so on. I about cried already just thinking about it. I totally trust family and know that they love him, but when it comes down to it they are not us, his mommy and daddy! But at the same time I KNOW me and PJ getting away together, by ourselves will be good for us too. So I know I will have great moments and rough moments over the weekend. But overall I have a generally good feeling about our mini-vacay! I will be back next week with pictures and updates! Have a safe and fun weekend! :)

Girl-Time

Last night I had some much needed girl time with Haster and Grace.

The other day over lunch I spotted an article in the Kansas City Star FYI section about women and their girlfriends. The article went over every excuse in the book about not having enough time to meet up with your girlfriends, but it also stated the importance of it. Social networking can not take the place of a hug or a smile shared between 2 friends. The article made me realize that I have been missing that piece for sometime now. I miss my girlfriends.... my family is, and will always remain number 1 in my life, but my friends should take a strong second and I have not been taking care of those relationships in the recent past. So in my attempt to become a better friend, and through that a better person, I have made an dinner date every other Tuesday with my gal pals Grace and Sarah. Nothing fancy, something homemade with lots of love for us and our kiddos :) We started our Tuesdays out last night. It was a last minute decision (we were not suppose to start until next Tuesday) so we just had a couple glasses of wine after dinner. But it was SOSOSO nice to catch up! I have missed a lot! Someone is in love, big plans are being made :) Someone threw away the key to their heart (she stated so dramatically but I don't believe her one bit!) The little tid-bits of life here and there that happen, I have missed out on those with these gals but I am sure there will be many more to come, that I fully intend on being there for! Thanks for the lovely gal time ladies! :)

Bath Time

Brody is growing up so fast! He took his first bath in the big boy tub this past week... We are using one of those no slip mats in the tub and just use a small amount of water with lots of bubbles! He had the best time, and has been enjoying his new bath times. Lots of toys, smiles & splashes :)

UMMM yes CUTEST PICTURE EVER! HE has 4 teeth popping through on the top :)

Too much fun in the tub! Life is good :)

First Royals Game!

We went to Brody's first Royals game on Sunday! He did sooooo good! He loved watching all of the people & the megatron of course :)

It was crazy windy! Hence my face, lol.

Brods and dad watching the game :) The 2 most handsomest boys in the world!

Brody & Gramps being silly :)

I have the coolest, bestest, awesomest little boy in the world! Thanks for such a fun day :)

This week

I feel like this week has flown by! Its Sunday already, Yikes! I was in a sort of weird mood this week, kind of cranky, tired... did not feel like posting much. But I am feeling better today and good thing because we are going to Brody's first Royals game! Its beautiful weather here, like literally perfect for a ball game :) My phone screen is broken so that is why I have not posted any pics this week, its so easy to take pics when you have your phone with camera with you at all times! I am getting a replacement soon so will be back with more pics I promise. I'm taking my camera with me to document the game, so I will post pics of that soon for sure! Happy Sunday friends!

P.A.T

Kathleen from parents as teachers came over on Tuesday and it was a great visit! She reminds me very much of my Aunt Diane, who is in the same type of program but in Salina, Kansas. She is so warm and friendly, and VERY easy to talk to!
It took as awhile to get started with this program, 6 months after Brody was born to be exact. I remember my mom bugging me almost weekly to call and set up an appointment. For some reason I was not really feeling that we needed to. I though "oh this will just be one more thing to add to our already full plate" I am SOOOOOO glad I finally did make the call though!
Parents as teachers is a program that is run through school districts, I do believe its a nation wide program. To get a full description you can visit their website here.... Parents as Teachers. This is seriously a wonderful program!
So back to our visit on Tuesday. Kathleen came around 4:30 and by 4:45 we were on the floor with Brods and some new toys, testing them out. Brody of course was being a show off and talking the whole time :) That's my boy! He is right on track with his verbal skills as well as with his motor skills. Kathleen even noticed what an active boy he is! She brought a walker (kind of looked like a little push mower) over for him to try.... I have never seen him so determined! He was determined to get up and stand, leaning against it. And then when he did that he would give a little grunt of frustration when he could not walk with it. By the end of the visit though he had taken a few step on his own with the walker! He is becoming such a big boy, and so fast!
Kathleen gave us several GREAT ideas for homemade toys, and a little preview for what we should expect in the months to come :) We meet with her again on October 12th and I can not wait! If any of you have a little one you should totally look into P.A.T.
Happy almost Friday day!