Thursday, March 26, 2009

Embry's Phrase of the Week

Happy at me - as in "Mama, are you happy at me?" It's the opposite of mad at me. She asks this (always in a very small voice) when she knows that I'm mad at her and she is hoping that it has passed.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Some Cute Pictures

It is a rare thing to capture Matthew when he is sitting still, and even rarer to get a picture of him sleeping. I think the only sleeping pictures we have of him are during the first few days after he was born.
I got lucky last night and this afternoon, with some really cute pics. By the way, my favorite baby pictures are of baby feet, but sleeping babies are a close second.



Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Wednesday Update

Around the House: Well, another week and a half has gone by, and we are once again a sick house. If anyone would have told me how much little kids get sick, I never would've believed them. It's only a cold this time, but for Embry that means 2-3 days with a fever, and 2-3 days of a cough that keeps everyone awake all night. Embry is almost over it, but Matthew is right in the thick of it. And luckily, he never gets it as bad as his sister.

In the Kitchen: The burrito project worked great. 18 eggs makes 12 burritos. 1.5 minutes on defrost and 1 minute on high and you have a hot breakfast, ready to eat in the car on the way to work. Perfect! We also tried a new Trader Joe's product called "No Pudge, Fudge Brownie Mix." It's a fat free brownie mix that you just add plain or vanilla yogurt to. The best part is that you can make as big or small a batch as you want, even single servings. We tried it last week and it's not too bad. It actually tastes more like chocolate cake than brownie, but it was definitely chocolaty enough to satisfy a craving.

New with Embry: We went to Embry's second parent/teacher conference last week. No surprise; she's doing great. We took home a big folder of some of her work, and mostly discussed what she would be doing different next year when she starts to attend full days.

New with Matthew: Mattie had his 15 month checkup last week, in between illnesses. I found out that he is now as tall as the average 2 1/2 year old, and that he has a very stubborn ear infection. So he is on his second round of antibiotics, and we go back to the doctor to recheck his ears next week. On another note, Matthew has gotten very proficient at tantrums. He begins by stomping his feet as hard and fast as he can. This usually results in him falling down from too much stomping. He continues to kick for a minute or so after he gets to the floor. Oh, and did I mention that he does all while screaming at the top of his lungs. I have GOT to get this on video. Not only for my and your entertainment (it is quite funny), but to show to his friends when he's 16.

I am Grateful For: We don't have to move this year after all. We have extended our lease until May of next year. I do like the house that we're in right now, but more than that I really hate moving. So, this is quite a relief, at least until next year at this time.

The Weather Outside: Wow have we had some crazy weather lately. Twice in the last week, the temp went from upper 70's to 20's after a line of storms went through. Nothing bad, just lots of wind and some rain. just when we think spring is getting closer we get another dose of winter.

I'm Obsessing About: Getting ready for a yard sale. Any of you who know me, know that I am nuts about getting rid of clutter, and I can't wait to get rid of all our baby stuff. Car seat, swing, bouncy seat, bassinet... all of the things that Matthew outgrew before he was 3 months old. Yard sale weather is still weeks away, but I'm ready now!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Monday Update

Around the House: Pretty calm here for a change. Not much to report.

In the Kitchen: Embry and I baked chocolate chip cookies last week. We were running low on reserves in the freezer.

And I am dying to try this new thing that J found on a cooking-for-cheap website. Frozen make-ahead breakfast burritos. Basically, you cook scrambled eggs and whatever else you want in the burrito (for me that's peppers, onions, mushrooms, and bacon). Then you wrap it in a tortilla, with some cheese if you want, and freeze them individually. When you want to eat one you just pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes. How cool is that?! J, especially, will appreciate these, since he has never been a cold cereal for breakfast kind of guy. He'd much rather have something hot, but never has time to cook before work. Problem solved.


New with Embry: Lots of stuff going on at school this month. They had their second fire drill of the year (which did not scare her at tall this time) and their first tornado drill. And last week they had a person from the St. Louis Bird Sanctuary bring some impressive specimens to show off. I knew she was excited about this because she mentioned it first thing after she got into the car that day. They got to see 2 owls, a turkey vulture and a hawk close up.

New with Matthew: Mattie is becoming increasingly mobile, running all over the place. He is also becoming increasingly loud, and increasingly hungry. Ever since he got over being sick he has seemed like a bottomless pit. He is eating about twice what did just a month ago. It is weird to me to have a kid who wants to eat all the time, since my other one lives on 5 nibbles a day.

I'm Grateful For: Quiet time after the kids are in bed.

The Weather Outside: March comes in like a lion, right? It's not so bad here. Cold, but nothing out of the ordinary. It's supposed to get warmer as the week goes by.

I'm Obsessing About: I recently found a book that I received as a gift almost a year ago. I had put it away and totally forgot about it. Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. I was just as excited to find it as I was to get it in the first place. I hadn't even opened it until yesterday, but I've been spending every spare moment I have flipping through it.