Award?!?!

Thank you so much Kim for the MOM of the YEAR AWARD!! 

First The Rules:

1. Admit one thing you feel awful about (involving being a mom). Once you have written it down, you are no longer allowed to feel bad. Remember you are a good mom!

2. Remind yourself that you ARE a good mom, list 7 things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you.

3. Send this to 5 other moms of the year that deserve a reminder that they too are the best moms that they can be. Remember to send them a note letting them know you have selected them, and also add a link to your post that directs people back to the person who nominated you

Ok, here goes:

1. I feel awful when Grady cries.  If it is when i have to let him cry it out in his room to go to sleep or when he cries because he is hurt.  It is just so hard to hear my sweet baby boy in pain.

2: Seven things I love about my kids:

1. I LOVE Grady hugs.. he has started to ask for them, he holds his hands out and says "Hug."

2. I LOVE just sitting a watching him play and explore.  He is learning so much everyday.

3. I LOVE having him sit in my lap and snuggle.

4. I LOVE Grady's long eyelashes.

5. I LOVE when Grady tells me he "loves me" and tries to show me the sign for it.  

6. I LOVE being with him.

7. I LOVE being a mom and I am feel so lucky that I am able to stay at home with him to watch and help him grow!!

Now, I am awarding my following friends:

A lot of my friends have already been awarded this but I am just going to put my top 5 awarded already or not!!

Anamaria

Ashley

Kim

Kate

Heather

Table for 3...

This is a picture of our Valentine's Day candlelight dinner I prepared for the two VERY special men in my life.   Keith had to work (turnaround) so I cooked mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and grilled filet mignon (well I had keith do it as soon as he got home from work).   We had a really nice night.

Mardi Gras Parade

On Friday Grady and I meet our friends Kevin and Andrea at a Mardi Gras Parade in downtown Baton Rouge.  Keith meet us after work.  Grady had fun he kept calling the floats trains.  I really think he was more exicted to be in the back of Kevin's truck :)  It was a REALLY short parade but we had a good time.  This will be our only parade this year because Grady and I are going with my parents to see my sister, Stephanie and BIL, Bogdan.  We are leaving Friday and will not get back till Ash Wednesday!  This will be Grady's 2nd Mardi Gras and we will have been on trips for both of them.  (Last Year we went to see Keith's grandmother in London)  But it is really nice time to travel since the rest of the world does not get a Mardi Gras Break.  

Paula Deen Goulash

I made this Paula Deen Goulash last week and it was a huge hit at our house!  I split the recipe in half and we still had left overs.

Bobby's Goulash

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-tablespoon Paula's Deen's House Seasoning
1 tablespoon Seasoned Salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

INSTRUCTIONS
In a Dutch oven, sauté the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sautéing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months. Use as a seasoning on meat and when cooking vegetables.

MORE nap time playing!!

After all that jumping and running around today at the Valentine's Party I thought Grady was going to pass out at nap time. Well I was WRONG!! First he opened the blinds and started playing with his puzzles then he loaded them up in his dump truck and started banging it on his bedroom door. I went in shut the blinds put him back in bed and took the dump trunk out of his room. Then a couple minutes later he was banging his push popper toy on his door. I went in again put him back in his bed and took the popper toy out of his room. I heard a little more noise but not much then he fell asleep.
When I went to get him out of his room after he woke up I could not open the door all the way because it hit a huge pile on the floor of all his pajamas out he took out of his dresser. 

After I documented it will a couple pictures, I had Grady pick all his pajamas up and put them back in his dresser.  He was one that took them ALL out!! 

This week update!!

Sorry I have not updated in while. I really need to get better at posting to my blog.
Keith started his 53 day turn-around about 3 weeks ago.  They are required to have a day off every 14 days ago so we got to spend the whole day with him Sunday.  We went to Zachary to look at homes and lots since we are hoping to move out there.  But we are having a hard time finding what we want in our price range, so we are thinking about building.  Then he came to my coed-soccer game and watched Grady.  It was really nice to spend the WHOLE day with him.  
Monday we went to Burbank Soccer Fields with our play group.  We had a nice picnic with friends and let the kids run and play.
Today we had the play group Valentine's Party.  It was suppose to at a park, but with the forecast of rain we had to move the party to Jump-N-Jive.  Grady had a WONDERFUL time today.  He was jumping, playing in ball pit and running around screaming he was full sweat by the time we went to the party room for lunch.

nap and bedtime PLAYING!!!

Grady was doing so good in his toddler bed, he would stay in the bed even if he was crying and upset.  Well this week he has started to explore his bedroom at nap and bed time.  He has been playing for about hour before going to sleep at least once a day.  I go in there lay him back down every 10 to 20mins or when things get really loud.     

Funny things he has been doing

1. changing his sound soother sound or just trying it off.
2. turning his baby monitor on and off (it has now been moved to a place where he can not reach)
3. putting his pacifier on the changing table, he knows he can not have his pacifier unless he is sleeping
4. playing quietly with puzzles
5. put his blanket back in dresser where it belong
6. found him twice sleeping in front of his bedroom door
7. found him a couple times sleeping with his head on the bed and body sitting on his steps
8. standing on his table opening and closing the blinds (he does this a lot, so i have the strings up really high now, but he still got to it today)  
9. reading books

He is still not asleep today for his nap.  It is close to the 1 hour mark so hopefully he will pass out soon.  

3 babies on the way...

I have thrown 2 baby showers in the past 3 days for 3 special mommies!! The first one was on Saturday for my Sister in Law, Rachel.  I ordered her a cake from Ambrosia bakery , made mini crab cakes, deviled eggs, hot spinach & artichoke dip with pita chips, veggie and fruit tray. We had a lot of fun but did not take many pictures so hopefully I can see Rachel's mom photos.  

Today me and a couple of mommy friends threw a shower for Michelle and Jazmin.  I was in charge of the cupcakes so i  spent all afternoon yesterday making cupcakes.  I made Carrot Cake and Red Velvet.  The Carrot cakes ones turned out prefect, but this was a new recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes and i wish they were a little moister.  I have been using my Grandma Marino's Red Velvet cake recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes but each time they started to burn before they were done.  I am not sure why, any ideas???

photo by: Kim Wittry

photo by: Kim Wittry