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!