Grandma's Chicken Pot Pie

This is a great recipe that I inherited from my grandmother. It is a yummy comfort food for a cold wintry day - like today!

Chicken Pot Pie

(Thanks to Grandma Krick)

1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 egg
pinch of salt
butter the size of a walnut (don't you love these old-time measurements!)
water to moisten the dough so you can roll it
1 small onion, chopped
pinch of parsley
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut in cubes
1 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed

Mix flour, baking powder, egg, salt, butter, and water. Roll out dough and cut into squares. Fill a large soup pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil and keep boiling. Begin adding ingredients in layers - chicken, pot pie dough, potatoes, onions. Repeat as often as needed until all ingredients are added. Finish by adding in parsley.

Cook with lid on for 1/2 hour or until water is absorbed.

Tips:

Double or triple the dough ingredients dependent

upon the number of people you want to serve.

We found we needed to let it simmer for about 2 hours

for it to reach the correct consistency.

After we finished, we agreed it would have tasted great

with some fresh corn added!

Tater Tot's First Slumber Party

Tater Tot is growing up! Last night she went for her first slumber party at her friend's house. They had a blast as you can see from the pics!

Who's in charge around here?

Breakfast

Tater Tot and Brother

Look at Tater's expression!

Sweet dreams!

The Terrible Twos

We knew they were coming but held out hope that we could hold on to our sweet Bruiser Boy a bit longer. Its amazing how they know the minute they turn two and how quickly they change!

Bruiser is still struggling to learn his words so you can imagine the combination this makes with the aggression of a two-year-old! He's developed a habit of walking up people and giving them a two-handed shove. He uses it as a way to say "hello," "wanna play?" and "get out of my way!"

In my post on Monday I wrote about our Sunday and Tater's medical traumas and mentioned about Bruiser at church. All was going fairly well - Bruiser was content playing with the Thomas sets in the cry room, G Baby was sleeping, and Tater was busy playing. Then the Pastor called for the children for the Children's Sermon. Out come the kids. Bruiser came running and yelling "ME, TOO! ME, TOO!" Surprisingly he went right up and joined the crowd. As we watched, he started shoving everyone around him and giggling. Thankfully nearby adults intervened, but not before he made one child cry. He is such a bruiser!

When It Rains, It Pours!

So, when I left off on Tuesday, Tater had just been diagnosed with an ear infection. Of course that was way too easy for our life!

Later that night Bruiser started coughing horribly. We gave him several Albutrol treatments but nothing seemed to help. We were up most of the night! By morning, we were busy having the discussion of who would stay home from work and take him to the doctor. All of a sudden I began to not feel so good myself. So, it was decided that I would stay home - little did we know that I was coming down with the dreaded stomach bug. About an hour later, I made the call to Daddy to tell that he would have to come home and take Bruiser to the doctor - I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow.

By the time Daddy got Bruiser to the doctor, he had spiked a temperature around 103 and was refusing to walk on his left leg. Because they could find no real reason for the fever and leg pain, they became concerned and sent Daddy and Bruiser to the ER for further testing. After four hours, blood work, an IV, and x-rays, they came home with the diagnosis that it was probably a virus that resulted in inflammation of his left knee joint. We had a follow-up visit at the doctor's today, where we found out his blood culture was negative (a good thing!). We have to wait for one more result that will come in tomorrow and we'll find out if we are in the clear.

The poor little man! He's still limping and trying to play like normal but you can tell he is in pain and doesn't feel 100%. Hopefully, we will all be on the mend soon - we need some warm weather to clear out all the germs!

Who's Your Daddy?

We often wonder what runs through our children's little heads, especially what they think about the people most close to them - Mommy and Daddy. While I am still waiting to know what they think of me, Tater and Bruiser gave me a glimpse today of how they view their Daddy.

Tater Tot was looking through a new book I received from my favorite book site, Paperback Swap. This book, Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko, shows you how to make better choices when choosing foods. It is a very colorful book filled with illustrations and Tater was enjoying looking at all the pages. As she was flipping, she came to the page filled with beer bottles to show you which were the "better" drink choices. She got all excited and announced "Ohhh! Mommy, these are Daddy's favoritests!" The funny thing is that we very rarely have beer in the house because Daddy doesn't want to spend the money buy beer!

Later this afternoon, I was at the doctor's office for the third day in a row. This time Bruiser was having a follow-up to his ER visit from yesterday (post to come!). We were in the exam room and I was doing my best to distract a two year who doesn't feel up to par. We were busy examining a puzzle with jungle animals. We always seem to gravitate towards this puzzle and it creates a real problem for Bruiser. You see, the elephant is missing and my little OCD boy can't stand when things are out of place! So, as he tried to fit the other animals in the elephant slot, we made a game of how they don't fit. Since we are always trying to build his vocabulary, I named all the animals repetitively as he picked them up. Bruiser tried to model after each animal. When he picked up the gorilla, he got very excited and started yelling "Dadda! Dadda! Dadda!"

What insight!

The Attack of the Red-Eyed Monster (Part 2)

Did you know that eye infections and ear infections are connected? I didn't but now I do!

I came home from work this morning to our sitter looking quite frazzled. She had had a very long morning with a devilish two-year-old (Bruiser Boy) and a very emotional three-year-old (Tater Tot). Not only was Tater moody but she had been complaining of her ear hurting and there was some "stuff" oozing out of her right ear.

So I make a quick call to Daddy to give him a heads-up that he would have to come home early to watch the other two children so I can take take Tater to the doctor (Lesson learned - never take three children to a doctor appointment!). The next call is to the doctor to schedule the sick visit.

Daddy arrives home, Tater and I head out the door. We arrive for our scheduled appointment to find out that the nurse I had spoken to had given me the wrong time and we were 30 minutes early. Not to panic - we took a quick walk around the plaza and then completed the entire Little Mermaid I Spy book from the waiting room.

In to the exam room we go after a brief 45 minute wait. The nurse discovers a slight temperature - vindication for Mommy! The only time a mother wishes her child is sick is after she has jumped through hoops to get to an appointment and she wants it to be worth all that trouble! The doctor began the exam by asking which ear she had been complaining about. Of course I said the right ear. So he looks first in the left ear and says "Hmmm." Then he looks in the right ear and says "Hmmm." Back to the left ear. Then I get the question - "Which ear did you say was bothering her?" Again I say "The right ear." Well, here is the shocker - her right ear was perfectly fine and her left ear was a full-blown infection! Go figure! At least I got my vindication and we left with a script for bubblegum medicine!

The Attack of the Red-Eyed Monster

This is how the story goes -

We woke up at 3:30 am to a whining visitor - the only mobile one, Tater Tot. There is nothing worse than coming out of a sound sleep and hearing "uuuuu! uuuuu!." So after an hour of trying to settle her and stay asleep. I finally bit the bullet and carried the screaming child back to her own bed. Even though she was screaming, she stayed put in her own bed long enough for me to fall back to sleep. Keep in mind - Daddy is sleeping through all this! Just after I dozed off again, a slight movement woke me - thank you Mommy Radar! Tater was standing in my doorway in too-small jammies, holding "Mommy Lovie" and sniffling. All of sudden she realizes that my eyes are open and announces in the saddest voice "You made me cry!" Unfortunately for her, my sympathy is weak at 4 am. I simply said "Too bad!", scooped her up, and placed her back in bed. This time she lasted until almost 7!

Since it is Sunday morning, we run around like crazy, get everyone dressed and fed, and manage to make it to church and only be five minutes late. Church goes fairly well (other than Bruiser's attacks - more in another entry!) and we send Tater off to Sunday School. After an hour of chasing Bruiser around the church gathering area, I pick up Tater and we head off to restock our supplies at Sams.

As I get Tater out of the car, I mention that she feels warm but didn't dwell too much on it - it was COLD! We make it into the entrance and load the three children into two carts. Its then that I notice the red, goopy eyes on Tater. So we quickly make a call to the doctor - yes, right there in Sams! Needless to say, Tater is now on antibiotic drops for pink eye and Mommy spent the entire evening washing 2 beds worth of bedding (thanks to the nocturnal visit!). As I was washing, I thought to ask her why she came into our room through the night - and her answer? "My eyes hurt!"

Nap Time at the Sprout House

That's Tater Tot under all the covers!

Bruiser Boy is peaking out between the slots - I'll probably have to go get him when I finish this - I hear him calling!

Even Daddy and G Baby got in on the nap!

(This is what happens when I run errands and leave Daddy in charge!)

G Baby Found Her Thumb!

After weeks of slobber-soaked hands, loud slurping, and squawks of frustration, G Baby proudly managed to get that tiny little thumb in her mouth! Here she is posing in her sweet slumber!

Snow Update

Well, I have been blogging from our laptop with wireless Internet and couldn't figure out how to connect the camera so I could add pictures. You see, our camera completely crashed two weeks before Christmas after four years of daily use. Not the best time to be without a camera - especially with a new one not being in the budget! So, Mimi to the rescue! Mimi isn't that advanced in the technology department (Sorry, Mimi - but it's the truth!) and had a camera she wasn't using. She gladly, for the sake of the grandchildren agreed to loan hers to us. The drawback? No cord to plug it in to the computer. It wasn't a problem with the desktop - I just plugged the memory card into the printer and away we went! Well, silly me, I never thought to check our old camera's USB cord until today - and miraculously it fits!
So, all that being said, here are the snow pictures I took on Monday (Martin Luther King Day) after another 4 inches fell through the night. And to make matters worse, we got another 1/2 inch Monday night - can you say stir crazy?!?

G Baby in the Spotlight (again, again!)

Lemon Chicken and Rice

[I've started researching new recipes to try now that we are eating at home more in these tough economic times. We are not adventurous eaters, so I look to find simple recipes that make us think of home and family. I plan to share these recipes on Thursdays so you can share them with your families as well. And if you have any great recipes - send my way and I might publish yours as well! Enjoy!]

Lemon Chicken and Rice

(Thanks to Aunt Nettie!)

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, chunked
salt
ground pepper
paprika
1 T oil
1 c uncooked rice
1/2 t oregano
1 3/4 c chicken broth
2 T lemon juice
1 T parsley

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Brown chicken in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add rice, spices, broth, and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed (add some water if too dry). Fluff with a fork and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

{Tip: We had this for dinner on Tuesday night and

discovered that we need to add more lemon for a stronger flavor. }

We Went Wireless!

Well, we finally broke down and entered the wireless age - and I'm loving it! It is great to be able to sit here in my kitchen with my children and not have to segregate myself off in the "man room." The freedom is amazing!

That being said, here's the update on the family:

Tater Tot is struggling to adapt to being back at home after being at Papa and Mimi's for vacation. Mommy and Daddy make her follow rules that might not have been so strictly enforced by the grandparents!

Monday was a vacation day for Mommy but not for Daddy. By dinnertime, I was going a bit crazy - it had snowed all weekend and I was still trapped in the house with the three little ones. So when Tater asked what was for dinner and decided to yell at me because she didn't like the answer, I sent her to the steps on time-out. After her designated three minutes, I went to talk to her and ask for an apology. In fact, I told that she makes my heart hurt when she yells at me. Her response? "You make my heart cry when you put me on time out!"

She is just full of these great one-liners! Yesterday, she was helping our sitter with the laundry right before lunch and decided she was too hungry to continue - "My hands are too hungry to help." So cute!

Bruiser Boy is definitely 2! His new trick is to pick up bins of toys and dump them over his head - then he runs off and laughs when we try to correct him. What a challenge!

He has spent the past few months insisting that he can do things by himself by yelling "I do! I do!" We've recently discovered that he has altered this lovely phrase to "I too! I too!" - he can't stand to be left out of anything!

G Baby is her usual wonderful sweet self! She has smiles that she loves to attack with - watch out! And now she giggles - and is ticklish. She giggles when we dress her and even when we just pick her up! So much fun!

So, that's the latest here - next time, I'll post pictures!

And We Thought Kid Shows Were Safe for Viewing!

We were eating dinner about thirty minutes ago, trying to have an adult conversation while blocking out the screaming children (can you tell there is a lot screaming on our house?). During a brief moment of silence, we hear Tater ask "Are you guys breaking up?" My husband and I looked each other with puzzled looks and then looked at Tater with the same look. Daddy asked her "What did you say?" She repeated herself - "Are you guys breaking up, you know, like the bunnies?" After further exploration, we came to discover that she was watching Arthur at some point (Tater has an amazing memory and we never know how long ago something happened!) and Buster's parents were "breaking up". I guess we need to monitor her TV watching a bit more - thank you PBS!

Surprise Snow

We woke up this morning to about 4 inches of fresh snow and it is still coming down! According to the weather forecast we were only supposed to get about an inch - oops!

The dedicated parents we are, we still got up, got the kids dressed and made it to church for 9:00am (well, maybe 9:10 - we do have 3 little ones!). There should be awards for that amount of effort!

I had a strange thought on our slow drive through the snow - things seemed to be occurring in pairs. My mother-in-law would saw that this "worrisome" and would have taken pictures - I just made comments to my husband! This is what I noticed:

1. At two separate intersections, two different Mercedes slid to a stop, almost cutting us off.
2. I saw two men, about three blocks apart, standing in front of their houses and just leaning on their shovels.

Now, I know those observations may seem odd and random and I would think the same thing if I was reading this entry! But the thing that made them stand out is that I saw the exact same thing happen twice - a little odd, wouldn't you say?

G Baby in the Spotlight (Again)

G Baby's pleading look screams:

" How soon do those other ones go to bed so we can have some quality time, Mommy?"

Quote of the Day

As anyone who has children knows, trying to get out of the house with three children is a challenge. Now add to that equation that all my children are under four-years-old, we are in the middle of a deep freeze and there is an inch of frozen snow outside along with icy sidewalks. To make matters worse, this story occurred as we were trying to get out the house for Tater's dance class and I had to wake both her and Bruiser Boy from a deep sleep. Good times!

So, I bundle G Baby in her car seat before I wake that others (I think that is a time-saving trick, but who knows!). Then I head upstairs. Bruiser is first and immediately starts crying as soon as I lift him from the crib and set him on the floor. I try to distract him by getting him to help me wake up Tater - no luck! The screaming continues. So now I wake Tater and begin to dress her for dance class as her screams begin. On go the tights - scream - on goes the leotard - scream - on goes the tutu - more screams. Of course through all this, I am asking her if anything hurts, is she sick, WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING????

As the screams continue, we all head down the stairs to the sound of little cries coming from the car seat - G Baby has decided to join in! Tater makes it halfway down the stairs before she plops down and refuses to move. I decide not fight this battle and tackle coats and shoes instead. Bruiser, although he is still screaming, is first to be ready. Meanwhile, I ask Tater is she wants to wear her boots or her sneakers. The only answer is more screaming (are you imagining the noise level at this point?). So, I continue getting ready to leave and occasionally re-ask the shoe question, hoping for an intelligible answer.

Finally we are out of time to waste and I enter the screaming match:

Mommy: "KATE, WHICH SHOES ARE YOU GOING TO WEAR?"

Kate: screaming

Mommy: "You need to stop screaming and tell me which shoes you want to wear or I am going to decide."

Kate: "But, Mommy, I'm trying to think and it's too noisy!" sniff, sniff

Well, at least we were on the same page! So on go the sneakers and out we go to the car with more screaming. Once everyone was buckled in, I stood outside the car and actually debated getting in. I weighed my options - bitter cold temperatures and silence or warm car and screams. The warmth won out! Would you believe that Tater fell asleep again before we left our street and woke up as pleasant as could be for dance class? My mother always told me to never wake a sleeping baby - Mom, you were right!

Indecision!

We are all home today (Mommy and the kids) since school was closed due to the severe temperatures. Once Tater Tot got over her disappointment that there was no preschool and she couldn't have "Blue Day" with her school friends, things settled down as much as they normally do around here! It was somewhat of a challenge but I was able to convince her that we could have our own "Blue Day" at home - even though she is the only one wearing blue!

So after I got her dresses, I headed upstairs to get myself, G Baby, and Bruiser Boy ready for the day as well. As Tater Tot has gotten older, we have been expanding her privileges, including letting her downstairs to watch kid shows while we get showered and dressed. In a house that is completely childproof the worst thing that can happen is a mess of toys - and that's just what I found today!

I came down the stairs and saw the floor littered with an assortment of puzzle pieces, Little People, Color Wonder markers, blankets, and books. I took a deep breathe to calm myself (the room had been clean when I went upstairs) and began this conversation:

Mommy: "Tater, what happened to the living room?"

Tater: "I just couldn't make up mind!"

Now, as a fellow female, I completely understood her dilemma and couldn't possibly be upset with her!

Quote of the Day - "Well, she started it!"

Tater Tot was visiting Papa and Mimi's house after Christmas and was there for about three weeks total. So, as you can imagine, they had lots of fun but there had to be a little bit of parenting from the grandparents during such a long visit.

One evening, Tater was in a little bit of a "Chief Thundercloud" mood and began to argue with Mimi. Well, Mimi's biggest rule is that there is no arguing with a grown-up - a rule that we fully support! Tater just wasn't stopping so Papa (who never crosses Tater because he truly believes she never does anything wrong!) had to step in. And this is the conversation that was later relayed to me:

Papa: "Tater Tot, don't argue with Mimi."

Tater Tot: "Well, she started it!"

The things that a three-year-old can say!

Tater Tot's Homework!

Tater Tot came home from preschool with homework yesterday and couldn't wait to have special time with Mommy to complete it! She got to hold this bear while we read the story Brown Bear, Brown Bear. By the end of the story, she was helping me read it - gotta love repetitive and predictable text!

Then we had to pick out a bear to glue on her paper, color it, and write about her favorite color and favorite animal. My little one is never short on words, so we ended up with a story!

Here's the finished product!

She told me that she liked so many colors that she had make a rainbow bear!

G Baby in the Spotlight (for Auntie M.!)

Wordless Wednesday

Mimi and G Baby

Bruiser Boy enjoying another birthday cupcake!

Papa and Tater Tot

(Notice Tater's hood - there were about a dozen birds flying around this indoor food court

and she wanted to protect her head!)

Tater Tot Returns!

After three weeks away from home ( and one and a half without Mommy and Daddy), Tater Tot came home yesterday! It is wonderful - and crazy! - to have our family of five back together.

Of course, as most of you already know, we don't do anything the easy way in our family and this trip to pick up Tater Tot was no different! We went to sleep with weather reports of 6-10 inches of snow and woke up happily relieved to find only about 3 inches - if we hadn't been able to travel, it would have been another week until we could have picked up our little munchkin and we missed her lots!

So after cleaning off the car and shoveling, we loaded Bruiser Boy and G Baby in the van and headed off for a few errands before the long trip. There were no incidences as we returned our movies (Redbox is the answer to entertainment for every busy parent!) and we decided to make a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for white hot chocolate (yum!) to ward off the chill of the day. Bruiser Boy settled in with a Deigo video and Mommy and Daddy had a few minutes to chat - a rarity in our lives!

So we were about half way through our trip when Bruiser started to demand a new movie. As the co-pilot, that duty fell under my job description! So as carefully as I could and without unbuckling (Daddy always says I'm not allowed to die and leave him with three children!), a wiggled in my seat and worked to change the movie and get it playing. As I was doing this, I suddenly felt something very hot on knee - and realized very quickly it was hot chocolate spilling. I turned around very fast, thinking I had knocked over my cup only to find out that the cup holder in my van had poked a hole in the side of the cup and sticky hot chocolate was spilling all over the rug and me!

Panic set in! I somehow had left home without my customary roll of paper towels and stash of trash bags - what was I going to do with this leaky cup going 70 MPH on 95? Daddy's brilliant idea was to just put the window down and throw the cup out the window (not that we condone littering but we had no other option at this point!). So, while holding the cup and a handful of HOT chocolate, I put the window down as far as I thought I needed. As I shoved the cup out the window, I discovered it wasn't quite far enough and the cup came flying right back in! After much screaming, Daddy realized that he could actually help me by putting the window down for me, and the cup and the majority of the mess finally made it out the window. The next ten minutes were spent scrubbing everything with baby wipes and discussing how we call Simonize to clean the rug!

We survived that drama and made the rest of the trip to the meeting point without incident - Bruiser Boy even settled down with his movie and slept for about 30 minutes. The best feeling was stepping off the elevator and hearing that little voice yelling "Mama! Dada!" As nice as it was to have time with one less child, we missed Tater Tot more than anything - she gives the best hugs!

Bruiser Boy Turns Two!

Yesterday was Bruiser's day! I can't believe he is two already - it seems like it was just yesterday that we bringing him home from the hospital and worry how Tater Tot would react and now we've added another baby to the mix. How time flies!

Bruiser enjoyed having a day all about him! When he got up in the morning, we let him open one present - a Thomas shirt that he wore with his pajama bottoms for about an hour (it was way too early to think about getting the camera and taking a picture - but it was a sight!). Since it was a week day, birthday got put on hold while Mommy and Daddy were at work.

When Daddy got home, we ordered pizza - Bruiser's favorite - and he ate 3 pieces! Present time was great. Since Christmas wasn't that long ago, Bruiser knew all about presents and knew just what to do with them!

Then, just in time to sing and have cupcakes, our friends stopped by with a huge Lightning McQueen balloon and another gift for the boy! He loved the cupcakes - I think he even managed to eat two!

Bruiser Boy went to bed happy and dreaming of all his new toys! But his birthday isn't over yet! Tomorrow we are off to meet Papa and Mimi and Tater Tot and have more cupcakes! Yum!

What a Chunk!

G Baby had her two month check-up today and shocked everyone. She weighed in at a whopping 10lbs. 6 oz. - meaning she gained two whole pounds in just one month! What a pork chop! I almost fell over when the doctor said she fell in the fiftieth percentile for her weight - none of my children have every done that - not even Bruiser Boy!

So, other than weighing a ton (which, by the way, the doctor was not worried about!), she had a great check-up - everything looked wonderful! Then it was time for the ... shots! I don't know who cried louder - G Baby out loud or Mommy inside! She went from giggling to pure pain in seconds - I think the nurse even wanted to cry. So sad!

Well, that lasted all of one minute and now she is sound asleep, recovering from the trama!

Already Been Chewed - Ewwww!

Since we are down a child (Tater Tot is spending the week at Mimi and Papa's house), we decided to brave the mall New Year's Day and explore the after-holiday sales. G Baby went in her car seat in the stroller and Bruiser Boy was very content to sit in the back like a big boy. We spent an exciting hour exploring the stores, riding the elevator (the mall is three stories, not counting the parking garage, and there are no strollers on escalators!), and splurging with Christmas money. I finally went all out and purchased my Dansko shoes that I have been dreaming about for the past year - and they are as comfortable as I was told!



So, after an hour of all that moving and spending, we had worked up an appetite. I had thoughts of a nice restaurant with a high chair for Bruiser but Daddy had a different idea! He loves to explore the food court and get all the free samples. His tactic this day was that we could all get just what we wanted and not have to leave the mall (all the restaurants are on the street and not easily accessed from the mall itself).



So off we go, cruising the food court, sampling food and searching for something that Bruiser will enjoy. We finally settled on Popeye's Chicken for Mommy and Bruiser, who went to claim a table while Daddy ordered. Needless to say, Bruiser was quite thrilled to discover that he could get out of his stroller and sit at the table like a big boy! Daddy delivered the food and went off in search of his own lunch, returning hours (not really, but it seemed like it!) later. Bruiser loved being a big boy and eating with Mommy and Daddy and he loved his chicken (more than Mommy - Popeye's is not a do-again!).



We had almost made it through the meal and were waiting for Bruiser to finish his last few bites when he got distracted by the children sitting next to us. They were not particularly well-behaved, which held his attention even more. Daddy and I took advantage of his distraction to relax a few minutes and chat about where we still wanted to go and how the rest of the day was going to play out - little did we know! As we were talking, I kept my eye on Bruiser with frequent glances over at him, when all of a sudden I noticed something in his hand that was not chicken! While we were distracted, Bruiser Boy had reached under the table and discovered a used piece of bubble gum and was now attempting to make it his own! Hence the "EWWWWW"!



So, after a quick swat out of his hand, much hand washing, and lots of shutters as the moment was relived in our minds, Bruiser returned to his stroller and we returned to peaceful deal-hunting.

Moral of the Story

Go with Mommy's first instincts and find a nice sit-down restaurant with high chairs!

Wordless Wednesday

2008 in Review

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Eagles, Eagles, Eagles!

Here's a shot of the guys watching the home team!

Go Eagles!

(Papa and Uncle J, you'll just have to ignore this post!)

An Unhappy New Year!

I can feel the depression setting in throughout my body. Tomorrow, after nine weeks at home on maternity leave, I must return to work. Everyone keeps pointing out the positives of my job:

• "It's only part-time."
• "You have a great sitter."
• "You love your job!"
• "You get to be a grown-up for a few hours."
• "You'll get a paycheck again."

It all sounds great, but nothing is better than staying home with your little ones - especially a new baby. Not only that, but our union is in the middle of major contract negotiations and we are fighting paycuts and benefit changes - not the environment I want to have to go back to. So, to all my loyal readers, say a little prayer that all goes well and our family is able to adjust to the changes and stresses that tomorrow brings!

Dashing Through the Snow...

Daddy took Bruiser Boy sledding for the first time today. We think he had fun - it was hard to tell! First, he could barely move in all his winter gear - he kind of looked like a colorful Pillsbury Dough Boy! Secondly, he had to wear pink mittens (hand-me downs from his big sister!) out in public - who would know that you can't find waterproof mittens in January!

When we finally made it to the sledding hill, it took Bruiser Boy at least ten minutes to walk to the top of the hill - he's not a fast mover in all those layers! Mommy sat in the car with Baby and watched the show. It was hard to tell if he was enjoying it - he didn't fuss but he didn't react to anything either.

After several trips down the hill with all the other sledders, Daddy decided to take Bruiser to a smaller hill that he could go down by himself like a big boy. At one point, Mommy looked up to see Bruiser laying on his back in the sledding and flying down the hill. Meanwhile, Daddy was at the top hill exploring the woods and not really watching our little one! Needless to say, I had a slight moment of panic, trying to figure out how to save Bruiser and not leave Baby by herself. Luckily Daddy returned to his fatherly duties before I had to make a decision!

That pretty much ended our sledding adventure - naptime followed for all!

Quote of the Day

My husband, who frequently tries to be witty, leaned over and gave me a hug this evening. He then proceded to say "There should be sparks every time we come near each other." The scary thing is that he was very serious! Who says that?!?

What's for Dinner?

Isn't the apron manly? Daddy is so proud!

We went shopping today and Bruiser Boy got a new kitchen set from Pottery Barn Kids. We always knew he loved food but you wouldn't believe how funny he is when he's "cooking" and pouring "ju" (aka "juice")! We decided to put the little stove in the kitchen so he can help Mommy make dinner and bake "tookies."

P.S. Daddy and Bruiser Boy sported their Penn State shirts today and tried their best to hold out hope until the end but I think we need to change "We are ... Penn State!" to " We were ... Penn State!" What a sad day!