"Sleeping in"

I decided today, since I really don't have anything to do, that I would "sleep in". It isn't exactly like your regular sleeping in, but it is a system I have developed post Josiah's birth that I break out every now and then. Today seemed like the perfect day since I woke up kind of tired. This is how it goes. First you get up at 8:00 when the boy wakes up, feed him breakfast and change his diaper. Then you put the boy in the "big bed", on a blanket of course, and play with him for a little while. He loves the little monkey puppet we have and if you pretend that the monkey puppet is hugging him, he just giggles and giggles. It is so much fun. After a while, he gets tired and falls asleep at which time you also fall asleep. I consider this sleeping in, because you haven't officially gotten up, taken a shower and put your clothes on. The only problem today was that they boy slept really good last night and he wasn't interested in falling back asleep. He played with my hair, my eyes, my lips. He threw his pacifier around. He smacked and smacked on my pillow. He made all of his little sounds. Once, I thought I saw his eyes close, but then I moved on the bed, and he woke up again. After about an hour of this, he really started whining louder. So I decided maybe it was best if I just took him up to his own bed to see if he would go to sleep. Sure enough. I stuck him in his crib, covered him with his blanket, turned on the music, and before you knew it....he was asleep. By this time, I was already up out of bed and it was pointless to get back in, so I gave up and took a shower. Now I am officially up for the day ready for whatever tasks may be in front of me.

Today's news

First of all, let me say that last night while Steve and I were playing the wii we heard a crying sound. I have heard this sound before. I opened the back door and sure enough there it was again much louder than before. It was the coyotes. They are back again. We haven't heard them since Thanksgiving. I hope that their crying was because of the siren that went down the road and not because they caught and ate another deer.

Today was a good day. I got a lot of things accomplished around the house. I think that I am finished making icing. (thank goodness!) I have enough left from today for the kids to use to finish their cakes. They should be done with them by Friday. Then we will move on to laundry and after that, baby care. I think I am going to take Josiah in and have them give him a bath. That should be funny.

Our neighbors came for dinner tonight. They are an older couple, probably close to 70. I made dinner. Barbecue chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed broccoli, yeast rolls and a cherry dump cake. I have to say that it all turned out pretty good. There is even a few left overs to eat again later! :) After dinner we showed them how to play the wii. It was a lot of fun. People who are older don't have reactions as quick as we do, so it took them a while to get the timing down. Once they did, they had a lot of fun. After they left, I took the wii fitness test. I got a 51 today. It was because I had to hit the tennis ball at the targets. I am very good at that one. I had a 37 yesterday. I think I need to practice more.

Tomorrow is my day off! Yippee! Steve is coming home for lunch. I have a meeting at school at 3:30. They have to talk about what to do if there is a disaster. Tomorrow night is "girls night out" at Applebees and I am really looking forward to that!! I want a maple blondie!! :) (Not that I really need one.)

Steve, the wii and me

Steve and I played the wii again tonight. I have figured one thing out. If I want to beat Steve at something it has to be bowling. He kills me at everything else. Although tonight we were doing the bowling training and we played the one where you have to avoid the obstacles. He actually beat me on that one. Only by one lane. I kill him when it comes to the power throw one. I am really enjoying the wii. I feel like my upper body is getting worked in a way that it hasn't been for a while, but really needs to be. Now if only there was something to work on the lower half!! HAHA!!

Cakes

So, I made four round cakes yesterday. They are not for me. I don't eat that much cake, at least not at one time. It is for my home ec. class. I divided them into four teams and each team is going to decorate a cake this week and on Friday everyone is going to vote for their favorite cake. I spent all morning making batch after batch of icing. I am thinking after this week, if I never have to make icing again it will be soon enough. I get excited thinking about the finished project at the end of the week. It will be neat to see how creative they get!
Now I have got to go touch up the bathrooms in the house really quickly so I can play a little bit of wii before I go to school. I promised Steve I would not play the wii unless I did my housework for the day. Before you go thinking something about Steve, he didn't make me promise that. I decided it on my own. I wanted something in place to protect me from wasting my day!! He actually encouraged me not to make the promise because he didn't want me to end up breaking it. I promised anyway!! What was I thinking?? Haha...actually it is a good thing. Off to work...then to wii!! :)

Team Chef Party

So I had some kids from my Home Ec. class over tonight. Six to be exact. Two boys and four girls. They were divided into two teams and it ended up being the boys versus the girls. Each team had to cook an appetizer, main dish and dessert. The boys made toasted ravioli, chicken lasagna alfredo with tomato basil garnish on the side, and tirimisu brownie sqares. The girls made a mexican bean dip, mexican chicken on a bed of rice and sopaipillas with ice cream. They were judged on taste, presentation and overall menu. Steve and two other teachers from school were the judges. In taste, the boys won. Their ravioli was a favorite among the judges. In presentation, the girls won. They plated everything on matching plates and did a fantastic job with the dessert. It looked very fancy. In overall menu, the boys won. The judges said that while the girls dishes were good, they were simple and convenient meals that could be made at home. They said the boys dishes were more like a menu at a restaurant. The boys were very pleased. After spending a while finding out out wii fitness ages, everyone is now gone and I am pooped. It was definitely a fun party and something I would consider doing again.

Wii are cool now!

Steve did it, and I can hardly believe it. Mr. I don't ever want a video game system (okay....I said the same thing) went out and bought a wii today. It doesn't quite seem like a regular video game. We do get quite a bit of exercise from it. I really like bowling and tennis. I need to work at it a little bit though so I can beat Steve. Right now the only thing I am better at than him is left handed bowling. I bowled a 181 left handed. I was pretty excited! Well, it is late and tomorrow is a big day...so long for now!

Ladybug

Okay....here is my creation. A ladybug. I think it turned out okay. Hopefully it will be an inspiration to my kids in class tomorrow.

The Itch

Okay....it is official now. I have been feeling it coming on for the last couple of weeks, but now I know. It is here. I have the itch. No, it isn't dandruff or poison ivy. It is the "I'm ready for summer" itch. I think the warm couple of days we have had have brought it completely out of me. I am ready for school to be over. I am ready to be outside. I am ready just for summer. I know we have to go through spring first, and that is fine with me. I just like the days getting warmer and the sun shining.

Of course, what hasn't helped is that we are doing cake decorating in Home Ec. class right now. It is tons of fun, when you are the one doing it. But I have been busy supervising, making the frosting, lugging all the stuff to school, cleaning all the stuff in the evenings....it is tough only having 45 minutes to do things at school. I try to make it as fun for the kids and sometimes that means I have to sacrifice a little bit of my own time at home for them. I don't mind...too much!! :) Tonight will be fun though. Steve is gone to a seminar in Greensboro (and to eat at Smokey Bones...one of my favorites *sniff*sniff*). I am going to make a fresh batch of buttercream and decorate some of the cupcakes I made for tomorrow's class myself. It will be fun. I think I am going to make one a lady bug. I might even post some pics when I am done.

Well off to the cupcakes, dinner and American Idol.....see you later! :)

Nothing

Okay...so I am sitting here at the computer thinking to myself that I really should write a blog. It has been a couple of days since I have posted anything. The only problem is that I cannot think of anything to write about. So...here is my blog of NOTHING. I will try harder next time....I promise.

Second Saturday

We decided when we moved into our new house that every second Saturday of the month we would have a night when the high school+ people that are in our lives could come and hang out. We weren't able to do it last Saturday since we were in Minnesota visiting my grandmother. We couldn't do it tomorrow because it is Winterjam, so we did it tonight instead. We had five kids over. Steve played on the wii and I played guitar hero on the ps2 upstairs. It was so much fun. I am glad that we don't have a game system or I think I would just play it all the time and never get any work done.
On a side note, I made barbecue chicken, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, and eclair cake. I had never made these particular recipes of bbq chicken or mashed potatoes. I was pleased with the result. I think I will be making them again!
The boy had a rough day today. He squealed and screamed most of the day. I think it is pain from his two front teeth that are coming in. He didnt go to bed until 10:30 tonight. I hope he will make it through the night.
Well, it is off to bed....

Helmet Boy

So, today we take Josiah to Baptist Hospital to get his head checked out. The pediatrician told us at his last appointment that one side of his head is flatter than the other in the back so we should have it checked out. That is what we did. First they put a pantyhose sock on his head and took some pictures. He looked like a little criminal. Then they added yellow sunglasses and took a laser scanner, much like a scanner that they use in the grocery store, and made a 3D image of his head. On the computer he looked much like a cyber baby. You could see the outline of his pacifier in the image. It was pretty cool. The verdict: he is going to wear a helmet. Probably for a couple of months. It really doesn't look too bad on him. It is Carolina blue. I will probably go find some UNC stickers that I can decorate it with. So far he doesn't even really seem to notice that it is on him. I know that before this, the uninformed person that I was, assumed that a child had some kind of weird abnormality when I saw them in the store with a helmet on their head. I guess now it is time for other people to think that of my child. No matter what he has to wear on his head, I still think he is adorable and love him all the same. Take a look at the pic and see what you think.....

C-o-o-o-l-d Minnesota

My grandmother isn't doing too well, so Friday morning, we got up around 4:00, packed the car, picked up my dad, and then headed to the airport in Charlotte for our 8:00 flight....or so we thought. We got there, checked in, went through security, and headed to gate E2. While we were waiting there to board, they announced that a ding had been found in the wing of the plane. They were going to try to fix it, but we were going to be delayed. Turns out, it wasnt a ding after all, but a chip in the paint. They had to have it painted before we would be able to fly. A little while later, they decided to send us on another plane and sent us down to gate E11. We were there a little while, and they announced that they were going to send us back to the original plane. So we headed back to gate E2 once more. When we got there, Steve overheard one of the mechanics talking and he said that they were not able to paint over the chip, but instead they covered it with foil tape. FOIL TAPE....basically it is a fancy duct tape!!(or at least that is what WE think!) They fix our plane with duct tape and then sent us on our way. Since we had been delayed two hours, the boy had already had his morning nap in the airport (that he was hopefully going to take on the plane) and he ended up being pretty cranky all the way there. I felt sorry for the other people on the plane, but what can you do??

We arrived in Minneapolis and it was freezing cold there. You could see your breath when you were walking up the walkway from the plane to the airport. We were all thinking why we had decided to come to Minnesota in February instead of waiting until June!!

We were able to go to the nursing home to see my grandma several times while we were there. She wasn't looking so good. It was hard to see her that way. She really enjoyed seeing Josiah and was calling him "my baby" before we left. I think she was pleased to see all the other ladies in the nursing home swooning over him and realizing that he was her great-grandson.

Saturday we went to the Mall of America with my uncle Ted. "The boys" (being my steve, my dad, and uncle ted), all wandered around together making pit stops at the Western store and Dairy Queen, while I, with the boy in the stroller, managed to walk all the way around each of the floors of the mall. I didn't purchase anything. It seemed like every other store was something about Minnesota.

We went to the airport yesterday to get ready for the trip home. Once again they sent us to gate E2. It was de ja vu. We were holding our breath hoping that there would not be another delay. After making a pit stop at Caribou Coffee for an iced mocha we boarded the plane. The trip home was much better. The boy was well behaved and he finally fell asleep, as we were landing on the runway in Charlotte! Overall it was a profitable trip. It was nice to be able to see my grandma again and for her to see Steve and Josiah. I am glad to be home where it is warm and I dont have to wear tights under my pants to keep my legs from freezing.

Go Heels!

After spending the last two hours with my stomach basically tied up in knots, I am proud to say that the boys in blue have done it again. As I was watching the game, I told Steve, that the UNC basketball season for me consists of the two Duke games, the ACC tournament, and the NCAA's. Since this game was a major part of that, I am so very excited!! (I really think that the win is due to thye fact that I dressed the boy up in his Tarheel stuff again today. It is a good luck charm, not that I believe in luck. But I do think that from now on I am going to dress him up every time there is a big game.) :-D

Catching up...

The Super Bowl party was great fun. A lot of really neat people and tons of great food! (That is my favorite part!!) Of course, the Colts won which was very exciting! The funniest part of the evening goes to Emerson. He was playing with the dog and the dog was licking him on the face. I said, "Look Emerson. He likes you. He is giving you kisses." At this point in time Emerson stuck out his tongue to "kiss" Midnight back. It was hilarious.

After everyone left, we played the Wii with Dave and Brie. It was a lot of fun. Steve knocked me out in boxing. If we ever get a chance to play again, he had better watch out...I am gonna get him!!

Yesterday I went to Concord Mills for the day with a couple of friends. They each had a child with them. The first two hours were spent going to eat, and then going to change the children's diapers. After this, things got moving and we did quite a bit of shopping. I found several good deals. Mostly for Josiah. It is amazing to me how at this point in time it is more exciting for me to buy things for him than it is to buy things for myself.

Today is a day to catch up with things around the house. This afternoon I am cooking dinner for my friend Sarah that just had her baby. Steve and I are going to take it over there this evening. I can hardly wait to see how much Isaac has grown.

Well, I am off to work.....

Super Bowl Party

The invitations are passed out.
The house is clean.
The food is in the fridge.
The LARGE flat panel TV is bought.

All that we are waiting for now is the guests to arrive and the game to begin....will it be a happy night or a frustrating one?? I guess it all depends on which team you are cheering for and what the outcome of the game is. One thing I do know, it is going to be an amazing time of fellowship with those people we know and the ones that we are going to get to know. It is going to be great fun!!

The Weather

Yes, I know...I am posting a lot about the weather. Here is a funny one. Our pastor, who is from Canada, always talks about how soft southerners are when talking about the cold. Yesterday, you know, we had this "blizzard". There was supposed to be a prayer time at the church office at 7:00. Steve and I went out to eat with some friends of ours who also go to church with us. After dinner we all headed over to the office to pray. When we got there, a sign was hanging on the door that said "All Evening activities cancelled". Guess who is going to be given the hard time now!!

Addendum to last post! (I think that is how you spell it!!)

Sorry to sound so negative in the last post. I didn't really mean it. I just was frustrated with all the "blizzard coverage". Now I can spend the day getting the house cleaned and making cookies. We are even planning to take Josiah out in his snow suit this afternoon. What fun that will be. Don't worry.....I will be sure to take pictures!! HAHA...like I would not take pictures of him. Anyone who knows me knows that I am camera crazy when it comes to my son!! Hopefully tomorrow will be a snow day too! Then I won't have to go back to school until February 12th! That would be just awesome!!
February 1, 2007 8:08 AM

Slightly annoyed

Well, it is a snow day again. I am here at the house using my new Valentine's Day gift. Yes, I know it isn't Valentine's Day yet, but Steve and I decided to go ahead last night and get our gift to each other. A vaccuum cleaner. It makes sense to go ahead and use it since we are having a bunch of people over tomorrow night and then a bunch more on Sunday for the Super Bowl party. It is actually a pretty nice vaccuum and hopefully it will last longer than the last one did.

I am a little bit annoyed though at Channel 12. They decided that they would rather report on this "winter storm" that we are having than letting me watch the Today show. I think that 15+ minutes on the conditions of the roads, snow accumulation, etc is more than plenty given the amount of snow that is actually outside. It isn't even an inch. I could understand it if we were under a foot of snow or something. Silly southerners!!

By special request, here is a picture of my brown phone. Actually, the color on the box says expresso. Yes, I know it is a weird color to like. Don't worry though, purple and green are ahead of it. :)