Seriously?!

I've been MIA for a while now (we've had a crazy week!) and I thought that today would be the perfect day to try something new. I'm linking up with Becky today for Seriously?! Thursday. I thought it would fit my mood.

Seriously?...My sister is still in the hospital and STILL in incredible pain. Her car accident was last Friday and she was supposed to go home Tuesday, but she is regressing. She has tubes everywhere, she can't sleep, she can't eat, and my heart is breaking for her. Hey, little black car that cut her off and never stopped after the wreck? You better hope I don't find out who you are. SERIOUSLY.

Seriously?...Another 5:00 a.m. wake up call for Emma. I don't get it. She even had a later bedtime last night and was all worn out from playing at Mimi and Papa's. We've tried early bedtimes, later bedtimes, warm milk, making her room dark, and everything else. She's just an early riser, I guess. Sigh. At least we didn't have another midnight tea party. And this is why she will sleep in a crib until she's 18. She must be contained.

Seriously?...I have to take Sophia back to the doctor's for another blood test. When she went in on Tuesday, they weren't able to get the necessary FIVE viles they needed from her (how is that even possible? That's like, all the blood in her little body!). They poked my baby three times to no avail. So I get to take her to get poked again. Then back next week for MORE blood work. Seriously??? How much blood do you people need. You're like freaking vampires! Leave my baby's veins alone!

Whew, that feels better. I promise I'm not always a ranter. Watch...

Seriously?...I stepped on the scale yesterday and I am down 18 pounds. Whoo hoo! I was not expecting to see a change this week due to being at the hospital a lot, which equals hospital food. This is so exciting for me, I can't even begin to tell you.

Seriously?...Can these kids get any cuter? They are what make it all worth it.

Five Question Friday- 6/9/2011

Hellooooo, Friday! I'm really looking forward to this weekend because we actually have plans. Tonight we have our monthly play date night with our good friends and their son, which include a BBQ dinner and a trip to the splash pad (pictures to come). It's always a good night when the Roberts' family is involved (Hi guys!).

Tomorrow, Andy is kicking us out of the house so that he can replace all of our outlets. I know that sounds like a weird, random project, but our current ones are loose and plugs just fall right out. Including outlet safety covers. That's no good.

Please hold for an ADD moment. Feel free to skip to end of this ramble.

When Andy and I bought this house several years ago, we were extremely confused by some of the problems we encountered. They made us wonder what the old owners were doing to cause these weird problems.

1. All of the closets were completely scuffed up. I'm not talking about some scratches. I'm talking they looked like they had been beaten with chains. What in the world? Andy and I joked that they must have only worn cleats or steel-toed boots and spent weekends kicking their shoes off into the closets.
2. The outlet "holes" (sockets?) were loose. Really loose. Maybe all of their plugs weighed 500 pounds. Speaking of heavy objects...
3. All of the toilet paper holders, towel racks, etc. were in place with these. A toggle bolt is made to hold objects up to 300 pounds. Most of these fixtures took four anchors. So we're talking 1,200 pounds. Now, I don't know what type of toilet paper they were using, but it couldn't have been easy on the backside. Maybe after they beat the hell out of their closets, they did chin-ups on the towel racks. Needless to say, many of the old fixtures are still in place.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

So Andy's going to work on the outlets and off to my parent's house I go with my girls. The best part? I'm staying for dinner which means no cooking for me for a second night in a row. Whoo hoo!

I know you are in awe of my exciting plans, but what can I say? I'm a party animal.

Now that I have thoroughly confused you, it's time for Five Question Friday. I'm linking up with Mama M. and you should too. It's tons of fun.

1. How close to your childhood dreams is your life now?

Pretty darn close. I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, get married, and have kids. The only thing I didn't accomplish is being a princess. But hey, three out of four ain't bad! And there's still time, right? ;)

2. What is one must have item for the summer?

Flip flops. Although, I can't really say that this is a summer only item. I've been known to sport my flip flops on unseasonably warm winter/fall/spring days. Forget the old notion that open toed shoes aren't fashionably acceptable after Labor Day. I'm a fashion rebel. My feet anxiously await warmer weather so that they can bust out of shoes. I live in flip flops.

3. Do you have your kids stay up on school stuff during summer vacation? (Or, if you don't have kiddos, did your parents make you keep up on school stuff during summer?)

My kids aren't in school yet, but I most definitely will. I'm a teacher and I know that the saying "If you don't use it, you'll lose it" is completely accurate. I can always spot the kiddos that kept their brains working during the summer because their transition from summer to school is smooth sailing. I always hear "It's summer. They need a break." Sure, we all do. I'm not talking about reading War and Peace and completing 100 worksheets each day. Reading something every day, practicing math facts, etc. is all that is needed. **Steps off soapbox**

4. Do you can or freeze fresh produce?

I wish I did. I also wish that we had a garden or an amazing Farmer's Market to get said produce. But alas, we do not.

5. Do you get ready for the day first thing in the morning?

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh, this is a serious question.

No, I don't. On some days I'm lucky if I'm able to get ready for the day before 2:00. I usually drag myself out of bed when Emma wakes up, which ranges between 5:30-6:30. After that, my morning consists of getting her breakfast, cleaning up breakfast, then Sophia wakes up, I feed her....I think you see where this is going.

Later on in the day is when I'm able to get ready. It's all a matter of when/if someone decides to nap and how quickly I can do what I need to do before someone cries. Or getting in as much as I can regardless of crying, but before they begin the "ugly cry." If I need to be somewhere that day, I need to get up and get ready before my hubby leaves for work at 6:15. I don't like that at all.

Thankful Thursday

• I'm thankful for Sophia feeling like her old self again. She's been having some, ahem, shall we say digestive problems? She also had her four month shots on Tuesday and she's been in a lot of pain. She was sore and fussy all day yesterday, which made Mommy fussy too. Today we had some progress in the "diaper department" and she woke up smiling and is a happy girl once more.

• I'm thankful for a two-year-old that can make me laugh even when she's driving me up the wall. This morning she's discovered a pretty persuasive argument in getting what she wants. When she wants something she says that it will make her happy. As in, "I'd like chocolate chips for breakfast. It will make me happy." Hilariously funny and maddening at the same time. And in case you're wondering; no, she did not get chocolate chips for breakfast. I took a chance on the happiness. It all worked out.
  

• I'm thankful for still being able to laugh and play with my husband. With money tight and me doing Weight Watchers, our weekly date nights have changed from dinner and shopping to hanging out at home. Last night, we enjoyed a home cooked meal and had each other laughing while we read through old e-mails and played Mad Gab. I love that we still enjoy each other's company and that we don't need much to keep us entertained.
  

• Not as deep, but I'm so thankful for air conditioning. I was reading a question on a Baby Center forum this morning from a lady that needed some cool (literally) dinner ideas. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse that doesn't have air conditioning. The daily high temperatures reach into the 100's. NO. WAY.

• Sounds crazy, but I'm thankful for my inservice classes this summer. I have LOVED being home with my girls, but I also really love my job. It's nice to have something that's just for me. I've had two classes and they got me itching to get my room ready for the new year. I always get so excited about starting a new year and implementing new ideas.

What are you thankful for today (and every day)?

Four Months Old

Dear Sophia,

You turned four months old today. Tomorrow you'll have your doctor's appointment where they will tell me how wonderfully you've grown and (hopefully) how well you are doing. You will get your next round of vaccinations and my heart will break when you cry. I will want to punch the nurses for hurting you, even if it is their job. It's hard to believe that four months have already flown by. So much has happened in the past four months, and I'm constantly contradicting my own thoughts by thinking that it's going by so fast, but that it seems like only yesterday that you blessed our lives. You change and grow with each passing day and I can spend hours watching your face and kissing your cheeks. Let's see how much you've changed this month.

Size

You weigh 13 pounds 13 ounces and you are 23 1/2 inches long. I believe it! You love to eat. Three month clothes are a tight squeeze and you are pretty much in all six month clothing now. You have the most deliciously chubby arms and legs and I can't get enough of them.

Sleep

I'm a little scared to say in fear that I may jinx it. Oh well...here we go. You take three regular naps every day. One in the morning, one after lunch (your longest) and one in the evening. In just the past two weeks you have been keeping a pretty regular bedtime of 9:30. You usually wake up 1-2 hours later and need to be comforted. A hand on your chest and hearing our voices usually does the trick. You alternate between waking up around 4:00 or 5:00 and will sometimes surprise us by sleeping until 7:00 or later. It has been great. Please don't change it...

Eating

Your doctor switched you to soy, which definitely smells better than your old alimentum formula. It must taste better too, because you immediately started wanting more. You are taking six ounces every 4-5 hours. We can tell that you are going to be ready for cereal soon because you stare us down at dinner. Your mouth hangs open and you never take your eyes off of our forks. It's pretty sad and cute all at the same time. We know that you are going to love eating solids. We are also predicting that you are going to be a very messy eater. we seem to be at a good place with your reflux right now, so solids may come later. I'm not one to fix it if it isn't broken.

Favorites

You have really started forming opinions this month. You definitely have your favorites. Your favorite toys are your pink musical giraffe and your crinkle book. You get downright mad when your giraffe stops playing music and Daddy, Emma, and I all scramble to start it again quickly. Your favorite song is "Where is Thumbkin?" You especially like it when Emma joins in.

You've moved past tummy time and want to spend most of your time standing or playing in your jumper. I still make you play on your tummy even though you fuss at me. You are really close to rolling from your back onto your tummy.

Above everything else, your favorite thing to do is to try to fit as many things into your mouth as possible. I don't know if you're teething or if you're just exploring, but there is nothing in this house that hasn't been christened with your slobber.


You continue to astound us daily with how much you change. You have a smile that can melt hearts and you're not above throwing one out after an hour long fussing fit...at the exact moment Mommy and Daddy have done everything short of handing you cash to stop crying.

I can't wait to continue to watch you grow and learn, little one. I am blessed beyond belief to be your mom.

Love,
Mommy

Children's Museum

Today I took the girls to the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge. Emma had gone before but I had never been. I was really surprised at how big it is. It has tons of interactive exhibits about science, Appalachian culture, and history. Some of Emma's favorites were the music exhibit, the Doll House and the train exhibit.

Sophia really enjoyed looking at everything too. I carried her around in the Baby Bjorn and she was as happy as could be. Today was the first day that they were open on a Monday, so we were the only ones there, which was really nice.

Dancing to the banjo music!

Out of all the seats in the classroom, she chose to sit at the teacher's desk. Like mother, like daughter!

This Doll House was my favorite part. This is an actual little house that is kid-sized. Everything in it is also perfectly sized and realistic. Adults aren't even allowed inside. The back is open, just like a real dollhouse.

Emma cooked in the kitchen, built a fire in the living room, and rocked the babies to sleep in the bedroom.

Running the register in the toy shop

Mickey!!!

Watching the trains go by

Recipe- Chicken Zucchini Burgers

A couple of months ago, I began doing Weight Watchers again to help me lose my baby weight, as well as to just start eating healthier. I love Weight Watchers. I know some people don't like calculating point values, etc., but it seriously takes a week or two to memorize most of the food in your house, and after that, it's a breeze. I loved doing it the first time and had great results until I got pregnant with Sophia.

Andy also likes it because he inadvertently eats better, resulting in a smaller waistline for him too! My biggest challenge is finding recipes that we all love; A hubby that doesn't like vegetables, a toddler that doesn't like anything, and a mom that loves good (but bad for you) food.

Occasionally, I'll post some of our recipe "keepers." If it pleases my picky family, than your normal family should love it too. I'll always post where I got the recipe, but I usually change it to fit our needs, which is the recipe I'll post. If you try it yourself, let me know what you think!

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I love these burgers because they taste great and sneak in some veggies, which is always a plus. The zucchini adds moisture and good flavor to these, as well as stretching out your amount of meat, allowing you to have thicker burgers.

If you're doing Weight Watchers, the burger is only four Points+. Add in a 1 Point bun, top with some veggies, and you've got yourself a 5 Points+ burger. This recipe makes pretty large patties, so one will be more than enough (you can also make 5 smaller patties at 3 Points a serving). We had ours with sweet potato fries and fruit and it was a hit all around.


Chicken Zucchini Burgers
recipe adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes' Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground chicken breast
1 small zucchini, grated
1 T onion, grated or minced
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
slightly less than 1/4 C whole wheat bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, except the seasoning. Divide the mixture into four parts and form into equal sized patties. The mixture will be sticky, so you may want to work on small sheets of wax paper. Season the patties with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet to high heat. Once the pan is hot, spray with cooking spray. Add the patties to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Sear until golden brown and then flip. Once the other side is browned, continue to flip to prevent burning and to ensure that they are cooked through.

Conga-The Sequel

If you're a long time follower of this blog, you are sure to remember Conga. Who can forget my sweet, two-month old getting down to Gloria Estefan?

Well, she's at it again. Two years later, she's still got it.