Monday Morning

Last night... I baked some ribbons.  Yes... I baked some ribbons in my oven.  This morning, I assembeled said ribbons into a mickey/minnie mouse bow for Disney World.  My plan was to get 2 bows out of the 6 dowel rods of ribbon I used, but I ended up with one (kind of weird shaped) bow.  Oh well... you get the idea.

My pretty ribbons awaited me this morning....

Oh... hello Stella!

Maeve dressed herself... very typical morning :)  I love it :)

Henry has no clothes on (again- very typical)

The dog, snoozing in the morning sun light.

 Hi there again miss Stella!

After I finished the bow, I ran up to Maeve and said "LOOK WHAT MAMA MADE!"  She looked up from the computer for a fraction of a second and said, "Oh." 



This was our Monday morning... :)

My prayer for this week:  Health and safety for our family... please God, no more sickness.  Please.

hello monday :) ...by numbers

• took a 45 minute "lunch time" swim
• went on a (60 min) grocery shopping trip
• changed (1) poopy diaper
• drank (1) sweet tea
• ate (2) bowls of Life cereal
• watched E.T. (2) times
• cleaned up a dog-chewed bottle of sunscreen (1 time... too many)
• have told Maeve, "I don't like the way you're acting"  (too many times to count)
• made (3) calls to (3) different doctors... (OB, pediatrician, general practitioner)
• tried on (5) different bathing suit tops
• texted Ryan (3) times
• thought (500+?) times how wonderful it would be if Lola decided to reside somewhere else... like a farm out in the middle of nowhere?
• have asked Henry (1000+) times "why?  why do you do that buddy?"  

And there you have it... my very exciting Monday :)

I always look forward to getting Monday over with, but even more so now because our weekends are just SO MUCH FUN, that going back to "normal" really, really stinks.

Yay for being halfway done with the day...

  

It's Been A Minute!

I haven't blogged since Saturday (meaning I took a day off on Sunday) and it feels like its been a century.  So weird.

This past weekend kind of stunk.  I'm sicker than ever.  Down four pounds- which isn't that big of a deal, but I dropped the 4 pounds in 2 days...  I'm sure its water weight, but its still kind of stinky how sick I feel.   I made some Thai chicken stuff for the kids and hubby tonight, but I stuck to caffine free pepsi and bread... how fun :)
Other than hibernating, we haven't been up to anything.  One could take this as a good or a bad thing. 

On a completely different note, this afternoon, we were watching "Alvin and the Chipmunks," and Maeve said something along the lines of "stupid, stupid, stupid."  No, I don't think stupid is a bad word, but it sounded horrid coming out of my 3 year olds mouth.  In the same second that I asked her where she heard that word from, those 3 obnoxious chipmunks started jumping up and down saying "stupid stupid stupid."  How nice.  I guess I need to screen her movies better.

So a few months ago, while in Florida at a farmers market, I snapped this picture:

I have NO clue who's feet or legs these are.  I do know it ws a girl- probably college aged.  She was sitting, listening to this banjo man.   She was closing her eyes, oblivious to everything that was going on around her.  And she was tapping her toes.  For some reason, I really adore this picture.  It feels rugged and raw.  I have no clue what this girls' story is or where these feet have gone or who they even belong to... maybe its that mystery that I like the most.  Anyway, my sister Emily, made fun of me for taking a picture of "some random girls feet."  I wasn't sure what I'd ever do with the pic, but Allie over at Allie Photography is having a "shoe" contest... and well, I thought of this picture :)  So poo poo on YOU emily :)



Oh... and "Something Different" from the fabulous Faith's blog.

This was one of those luck of the "snap" pictures- I caught a really cool sun ball.  I originally didn't do anything with this photo, because Henry's eyes are closed... but I figured it would be a perfect entry into "Something Different" right? :)

I'm hoping to host a photo contest myself sometime in the near future... I have such a blast looking and linking up with everyone.  We shall see if I can come up with something... I am probably the least computer-tech person ever, meaning I have no clue how to make a button or anything like that.  Anyhow, its just a thought :)

I think that's all for now...

Happy Monday (night)!

Scenes From an (Ordinary) Monday Morning

Monday mornings consist of menu planning... which has become increasingly difficult for me, thanks to lovely morning sickness.   I managed to come up with some super easy, throw-together dinners for this week...  I very rarely eat what the rest of the family is eating lately.  Usually its cheerios or a PB&J for me.

Look how much better Henry's eye is!!!  YAY!! 

I don't know why this picture is in here.... I can't stand this creature.  Okay, I sort of like her.   It's not even noon and she's eaten an entire pack of stickers... who eats stickers???

Notice Maeve is not in any pictures... that kid refuses to even remotely look at the camera.  :(  booooo. 

Monday=Meals.

Unfortunately, I only know of one meal we're having this week.  But its SO good, and I've promised to share it... so here it is:

Deceptively Delicious Mac & Cheese 1:

1 1/2 cups macaroni (I use the swirly kind:)
nonstick cooking spray
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs floud
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup butternut squash OR cauliflower puree (I've done both- I personally like the cauliflower better, my husband prefers the squash)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
4 oz. Nonfat cream cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper

1.  Cook your macaroni!

2.  While the mac is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium.  Add the oil & flour, stirring constantly, until you've made a thick paste  (be careful not to burn... it should be white- not brown:)

3. Add the milk and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring.  The mixture should thicken.  Add the veggie puree, the cheeses, and seasonings.  Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.   Now get your cooked macaroni and pour it in the cheese sauce... stir it well and there ya have it! :)

-from "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld

I need some help with dinners this week.... What's on your menu?

Monday...

I wasn't sure what to title this post simply because of the vast amount of activities and events that have cluttered my calender this past weekend.

It was my moms big Christmas show- Not much to say about the big Christmas Spectacular- yes, it was spectacular, but it was an exhausting, overly packed weekend. And I was really emotional because of that certain week of the month so I cried through half the songs. It was just a LOT of driving, standing, talking, baby wrangling, etc. So I felt entitled to some soft crying :) In fact, last night as I went to bed, I was so tired and overwhelmed, I was thinking "THANK GOD its Sunday tomorrow- we need a break!" Boo- it was really Monday.

SO we've got 10 days until Christmas??? Crazy, but nice. I really am just about done with everything... I do have lots of baking to do Christmas eve, and some picture developing... but other than that, things are set. Oh I guess I should get my dogs a bone or something.

On the sick front, I am feeling better- still have a scratchy, annoying voice and a disgusting nose, but the fevers haves stopped. Maeve has popped a tooth on her bottom gum which I'm hoping was the culprit of her fevers. She's still a grouch... last night on our way home from the most disastrous photo shoot in history, Ryan and I joked that Maeve had reached a new level of insanity... or perhaps she's just inching her way closer to that magic age of 2. Either way, she was uncooperative, out of control and just plain un-fun to take pictures with last night. Poor Suzie drove all the way down from the Grand Haven area (not sure how to spell your exact location suz!) and Maeve was so incredibly NOT having anything to do with taking pictures. It was embarassing and super frustrating. But thats life with a 14 month old I guess. :)

It IS Monday though, and we all know how much I enjoy Mondays ever since my appointments started up at UMich. No cooking, long drives talking to Ryan and listening to Buffett and usually some good insight as into why I decide to panic in perfectly ordinary situations. It really is a fun night. So I am looking forward to 5 'o clock...

On my "to-do" list today, is to get those pictures developed and get my grandmas gift shipped off to Florida. I would call it a good day though if I managed to get myself and Maeve to Target for the pics.

Alright... I suppose I should start some sort of getting ready for the day... my kids in a diaper, I'm in a t-shirt and the house looks like we had an F-5 come through last night...

Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down

The Babes.

Max & Maeve. Just a side note here- Max is only 3 weeks YOUNGER than Maeve!!! Look what a big girl I have! She looks so much bigger than him!!!

Maeve having a ball in her blow up thing.

Ha :) This is Maeve in her bug floatie and Olivia trying to get in to take a pic with her! :) Cute!

Olivia took this pic :) We are 2 sun loving chicks, Maeve and I! :)

I hate Mondays just about as much as I hate dieting or ear infections. When I woke up today I SO wanted it to be Sunday or Saturday. Or I guess any day but Monday because then we'd be closer to Saturday. I had ZERO, ZILCH, NADA planned for today and I was dreading spending the day cooped up in the house with my captain insano child (thats what Ryan and I call her sometimes when she's be crazy... Cpt. Insano) SO Maeve and I went swimming over at our good friends, the Schochs. We are SO lucky to have them as friends, not just because they're great people and have awesome kids, but also because they own an amazing pool! They are so kind in inviting us over there all summer long... when I was big and preggo I basically sat in that pool all summer long with Jessy (who was also pregnant... but not big!). Anyways, I took Maeve over there for lunch and a little swim session today. It was fun getting out of the house and seeing other babies :) Maeve loved it and now she's conked out in her crib which is always a good thing! So this Monday was pretty nice.... Now if I could only think of something kick butt to cook for dinner.