Identity Crisis and Other Events

Mr. A debuted his costume of the season last night at the church Halloween party. He met up with all of his princesses (pictures of those to come later) and even kissed his frog. However, an unanticipated dilemma arose as the night went on....

The dashing prince ready for "the ball"

Very serious matters to attend to

"Right here, please" - the frog princess awaiting her kiss

"What?! A picture first?!"

(side note - please ignore the old lady Hawaiian tourist in the background - for those of you who know my friend, Sarah, that is her and I could not take one word she said seriously last night. It was a perfect costume)

...and back to the dilemma: all of those accessories (sword, sash, crown) were just too much for Mr. A to handle. And so, for the Halloween party at preschool this morning, he debuted a different costume and seemed quite pleased with it.

Sooooo...what will tomorrow bring? Which Mr. A will take to the streets of P-town with his pumpkin in tow pleading "Chick or Teat"? Stay tuned....

Yes, Sir

Whenever Mr. A is doing something, or says he's going to do something, that he shouldn't, I often find myself saying, "No, sir."

For example:
Mr. A: "Mommy, I go in Baby Sis's room and say hi"
Me: "Oh, no, sir. Baby Sis is sleeping."

So tonight, imagine my surprise when Mr. A throws Play-Doh on the kitchen floor and I said, "Mr. A, the Play-Doh doesn't belong on the floor, only on the table."

Mr. A: "Oh, YES, SIR, on the floor."

Hmmm. At least he's an optimist.

Cuddler Extraordinaire

My Miss M is 5 months old tomorrow. She has been so much fun and such a bright light in our home. Mr. A takes such good care of her and she lights up whenever he is around. The love is obvious.

Overheard today on the way home from the grocery store (she had spit out her pacifier, was fussing, and ready to eat or sleep):

Mr. A to Miss M: "Iss OK, Sissy. We be home in JUST a minute. We almost there, Sissy. You be ok."

See, he is looking out for her already.

A few of her highlights:

• She has discovered her feet and toes. She grabs her heel and molds and bends her body trying to eat them. It is riveting to watch. I love the discovery mode.


• She is our little cuddler and it is the best. Mr. A was not a cuddler so this is new for us. When she starts to get tired she puts her head down on our shoulders and just nestles in. It truly makes us not want to put her to bed so that we can cuddle a little longer! Smart one, that girl!


• She is a master jumper - her brother loved it too. The "Johnny Jumper" swing that hangs in the doorway of our dining room gets a daily workout filled with squeals of glee and hiccups of excitement.
  


• She is patient. Sometimes she does not get the attention and food and admiring that she needs as soon as she wants it but she waits kindly for it (most of the time).

Happy 5 months, Miss M!

Ghosts in the Graveyard

My Graveyard Cake contribution to the Pumpkin Carving Fiesta

I really like the Fall. I really like the colors - on the trees, on the ground, and even in the sky. I really like the crisp air. I really like seeing colorful mums in flower beds and on front stoops. I really like picking out with great care just what candy we will be distributing for Halloween. I really like seeing kids in their costumes. I really like thinking of a theme for my kids (here's to hoping it works - we'll find out tomorrow). I really like watching little kids discover the fine art of trick-or-treating (really, it is an art). And, I really like turning the heat on for the first time and smelling the faint burn as it starts to warm up the entire house. There's just something about the season that I really like.

Some notes:

• We had a pumpkin carving party to attend this weekend (pictures of the pumpkins to come later). A dessert was our meager contribution. The party and the company, however, were delightful.
• A very happy birthday to one of my favorite people - my S-I-L, Michele, who I hope someday decides to join the blogging community and enlighten us with her words of wisdom (having 6 children seems to impart that on people). In the meantime, we're just happy she now has her very own camera (her daughter did ask her if this meant she was starting a blog. ha ha. I told her she needed to tell her daughter that it simply meant she could document her life again!). Happy day, Michele, if you ever read this! :)

An Ode to Aunt Kimmy

On this, your day of birth just a short twenty-something years ago, we honor YOU, Kim. Thank you for making our lives richer, our hearts fuller, and our children cooler (dress-wise, that is).

We hope your day is perfect and filled with yummy cake and even yummier frosting. We luff you!

Breaking and Entering

Locked out. Are you kidding me? We NEVER lock the door in our garage (that goes to the house). DH was the last one out. Must have been him. No answer on his cell phone - for an HOUR. No key hidden ANYWHERE. No windows open (I think) except for the one in our bedroom. Pull the ladder out. Prop it against the house. Contractor neighbor drives in his driveway. "Can you please help me?" Window open downstairs, thank goodness. THANK YOU!!

His parting words: "You may want to hide a key in your garage or leave a window open." Thank you, Mr. Neighbor. That would be very smart of us, you're right.

And my DH's words when I told him about our neighbor's kind gesture (after screaming at him for locking the door - "I didn't do it.") : "That's so nice. You should make him some cookies or something."

Let me get right on that. Where's the softened butter?

Jealousy

My DH clearly has friends in better places than I. He's off to Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday night. I'm definitely jealous. In an effort to make me feel better he told me that he and his friend have to have a "Young Men's Wellness Meeting" or something like that. Whatever. Have fun. Go Phillies.

Daddy Fix It

I guess I'm a creature of habit and I've passed it to my son. Whenever we go to Target (which is sometimes once-a-week) I appease Mr. A (and buy myself some peace in the store) with an ICEE (bad mom, I know).

Last week we got to Target right at lunch time. Perfect for the hot dog/ICEE combo.

Me: "Yes, I'd like the Hot Dog/Icee Kids' Meal"
Target worker: "Sorry, ma'am. The ICEE machine is broken today."
Me: "Seriously?"
Me to Mr. A: "Sorry, buddy. The ICEE machine is broken so we'll have to get another drink."
Mr. A: "That ok, Mommy. Daddy fix it."
Me: "But Daddy's not here, bud. Remember, he's on the airplane?"
Mr. A: "Oh. Well, Daddy fix it when he come home on Friday?"
Me: "We'll see."

And so it goes. Whenever anything is "not working" at our house, Mr. A's solution is always the same - Daddy fix it when he come home. Thank goodness for our Daddy Fix-it Man.

(And, no, he didn't have to fix the ICEE machine at Target. Someone else got to it first.)

Love in the Air

We got to spend a glorious Fall weekend celebrating love. Our love for our kids, our love for each other, and Jen and Jason's love. There is truly nothing happier than a wedding day. Everyone is just happy. I love being a part of weddings.

I especially loved celebrating with my cousin, Jen. She is 3 years older than I and is, in many ways, like my older sister. I grew up idolizing her - I wore her hand-me-down clothes with great pride, I lived vicariously through her boy stories, I always wanted to sleep in her room, eat what she ate, go to sleep when she did, and on and on. It was pretty funny at times. And so, now that we're both all grown up, it was with great joy that we celebrated her happy marriage. Her husband is a great guy and we can't wait to laugh often together. Congratulations, Jen & Jason!

Mr. A and Miss M "lazing" around

So delicious

Right back where it all began

with my gorgeous mother and beautiful sis

the Blushing Bride

the dapper Mr. A

the delightful Miss M

Close-up Cousins (a little too close)

BG and Miss M

Miss M and Miss E - Miss M was so spoiled all weekend - and so was I - I hardly held her and my superstar cousins and aunts couldn't be found without her - thank you!

Apples From the "Tee"

Our "expert" sampler
Such a happy apple of our eye


Aren't they pretty?
All alone in the orchard

The apple, the boy, and the mom

Yum.

A few weekends ago we ventured out into the PA countryside to engage in what is quickly becoming a fall tradition - apple picking, pumpkin picking, and leaf-viewing. It was a beautiful sunny day and Mr. A kept asking when we were going to get to the "apple tees" (trees). We bought our 1/2 peck bag, took a big "hayride" out to the apple trees, and started picking away.

The beauty of this apple orchard - sampling is free.

The verdict: Jonagold all the way.

We sampled Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Jonagold, and two others that I can't quite remember the names of. After filling half our bag with Jonagold, then sampling the others, we went back to finish filling it with Jonagolds. Mmm-mmm.

4 Months

The time wheel just keeps on ticking by. It really does go so fast. Miss M had her dr's appt today to measure her progress and here's what the flawed nurse measurer and the not-so-flawed scale had to say:

Weight: 14 lbs, 5 oz - 60th percentile

Height: 24 inches (still mystified since she was 21 in at birth) - 35th percentile (poor thing, she really doesn't have much hope on the height spectrum)

Head: 16 something (60th percentile)

Just one question: Why was I so stupid as to make the appt at 1:30 in the afternoon (Mr. A's naptime)? Not doing that again (although he was extremely well behaved considering...).

Just one rant: Why does a PEDIATRICIAN appt take OVER an hour when I saw the dr for MAYBE 7 minutes and the nurse took AT LEAST 10 minutes to come give the shots to Miss M after the dr. had left the room? Why did I have to leave the exam room with my 1/2 naked child and toddler in tow to find the nurse after the aforementioned 10 minutes and ask her if she could please give my child her shots so that I could take my 2 very tired children home for naps? Goodness.

Yummiest Chicken Noodle Soup

Fall was in the air today and so I cooked up a batch of the tastiest Chicken Noodle Soup I know of and thought I would share it with anyone interested. It comes from an old family favorite restaurant and has been passed down through generations! Enjoy (I certainly did!!)...

Hot Shoppes Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

5 cups chicken broth

5 tablespoons margarine

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup noodle rings, ¼” diameter

2/3 cup chicken, cooked and diced

Directions:Heat 4 cups of chicken brother to boiling in a 2 qt. pan. In a separate saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat. Add flour and stir well to blend. Do not allow this to brown. Now add the flour and margarine mixture to the boiling stock. Cook until thickened over moderate heat. (I usually add some of the hot broth to the flour/margarine mixture first to thin it out and better the chances of it not becoming lumpy.) Bring the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth to boiling in a small sauce pan. Add the noodles and cook until just tender, but not soft. Add the undrained, cooked noodles and cooked diced chicken to the thickened broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If not served immediately, hold over low heat in a double boiler until time to serve.

Noodle Options: small shells, miniature bow ties or stars (Stelline 59), Ditalini 36 or Tubettini 39

Tips: Always double this recipe! One is never enough for leftovers! Enjoy.

Number Of Servings:6-8

Preparation Time:45 minutes

Talented

I can appreciate good talents when I see them, receive them, experience them, and even acquire them. The "acquire them" part doesn't happen all that often, but, again, I can appreciate it.

So, while out West last week I put some of my acquired-through-marriage relatives' talents to good use. And, I love them.

For those of you who live in Utah, visit Utah, might someday live in Utah, or happen to be passing through Utah, let me tell you where to get your hair cut - wherever Megan is. Right now she teaches other peeps to cut hair at the Taylor Andrews Hair Academy (in W. Jordan and soon-to-be in Orem) and does her personal coloring and cutting after hours. Go. She's awesome. She's been cutting my hair for many years now (she's my DH's sister) and I really wish she lived closer. It sure is worth the plane ride out there, though, just to have her put her scissors on my locks. Again - awesome. Find her.

And my pictures of Miss M. Where do I start? Lisa (DH's cuz) has worked to acquire her photo talents, and I so appreciate all that hard work and creativity! So, if you need a great photog in Utah, click here to see her work and then send her an email to sign up. She's great.

Thanks to both of you talented ladies for helping me out! I loved what you did.

Rolls

More info to come in a later post on these sweet pictures that Tyler's uber-talented cousin took, but I had to post one

We have several of them at our house right now - some in the freezer, some in a bag on the counter, some on Miss M's thighs, some on my belly, and we've just added a new one - Miss M went from back to front last night - tempted by our dear friend, Corduroy the Book. She loved that Red cover and just had to get a better look at it. Mr. A and I cheered her on to victory - 3 times.

She's gone from stomach to back before, but the back to stomach's taken a bit longer. We couldn't be more thrilled for her forward progress, though. Go M!

Don't Tell My Husband...

...but I really like to mow the lawn. My lines aren't straight (heaven knows I can't even CUT a straight line with scissors, so why should I think I can push a 20+ lb. piece of machinery in a straight line?), I missed a few spots, but there was something extremely satisfying in watching the uncut row next to the currently being cut row. I'm weird, I know. Maybe it's because I never had to do it growing up.

We had a small jungle growing in our yard due to all of the rain, warm weather, etc, and since DH has been gone so much lately I decided to take matters into my own hands. Mr. A was a dutiful helper/cheerleader. Thank you. I will not be starting my own lawn business, however.

And, DH just informed me that he will be mowing again on Monday ("just to get it to a lower cut length" - mmm, hmm. right. i'm not offended.)