A Peek at our Week 2011: Week 6

Saturday, February 5

It has been a long standing tradition in our family to go get donuts & coffee first thing on Saturday morning.  What a treat today!  Dunkin' Donuts has a new Valentine donut called Cupid’s Choice.  It's a heart-shaped donut filled with Bavarian Kreme, topped with strawberry icing and pink, white and red heart-shaped sprinkles.  It is fabulous!  I love this little tradition that we have...it's about more than the donuts.  I love that we start our weekend off simply enjoying being together.  I love that we are making memories with our boys.   I love that we are family.

Sunday, February 6

This year, the Super Bowl was alot more relaxing to watch; we didn't have a dog in this fight.  So unlike last year when we watched the Saints' historic win as a family of four, this year we went to the neighborhood's Super Bowl party.  And we had the best time.  It was BYOB and an appetizer to share.  There are many gourmet cooks in the neighborhood, so the typical football food was elevated to new heights!  I brought a seven layer Mexican dip (this dip always reminds me of our law school days), but my favorite was a fantastic chili with mini cornbread muffins.  I love a dinner plate full of finger foods...so fun!  

Monday, February 7

My Mom shows she loves me all day.  In the morning she gives me breatfeast.  My Mom lets me go outside during the day.  She kisses me at night.  Thats how she love me.  Love, Jack

Awwwww.  I love you more!  Always.

Tuesday, February 8

Tonight, Jack made a wonderful discovery.  Listening to music on Daddy's MP3 player makes doing homework so much easier.  Look at him rockin' those math problems.  I just pray that Daddy's music is appropriate for a 7 year old!

Wednesday, February 9

This afternoon, we stopped by the book store to hang out for a bit.  Why is the train table such a magnet for little boys?  At one point, I counted 5 engineers pushing trains.  While Will was occupied with Thomas, Jack and I enjoyed reading books together.  But what I most want to remember from today is just how perfectly these little hands, with the stamps and dirty fingernails, fit into mine.

Thursday, February 10

I just love Thursdays!  It is the one morning during the week that Will and I don't have to hit the ground running.   Will loves to hang out in his jammies, while I catch up on doing laundry, paying bills, making phone calls, and getting myself organized for the weekend.  But the best part is that every other Thursday the cleaning service comes...I just love seeing those ladies!  Today at lunch, Will and I enjoyed watching Mr. Cardinal eating his lunch, too.  I told Will that I bet Mr. Cardinal and his other woodland friends were very thankful for the bird feeder that he made!
**sorry it is so hard to see the cardinals, I was taking this picture across the backyard through my kitchen window with my point & shoot camera**

Friday, February 11

Whew!  I am beat.  I have hosted two parties this week for our neighborhood...a Super Bowl party and a children's Secret Valentine party.  And being the perfectionist that I am, I have to make sure every little detail is just right, so the day of the party I am running out "for one last thing" all day long!  The Secret Valentine party is so much fun.  The children in the neighborhood are assigned a Valentine their same age and gender.  During the week, you leave 2 secret surprises in their mailbox.  On Friday, we meet at the clubhouse for dinner and a present to "reveal" yourself to your Valentine.  Jack and Will got lots of candy during the week and tonight, Jack received Legos from his Valentine and Will was gifted a stuffed lab.  Both perfect gifts for each of them!

All About Mommy According to Will

This meme went around the internet a couple of years ago, and I had Jack, 5 years old at the time, answer the questions.  I thought it would be fun to play the same game with Will, who is now 4 years old.  You ask your child the questions about you and type exactly what they say. So this is Me according to Will:

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
I love you!

2. What makes Mommy happy?
kisses

3. What makes Mommy sad?
when someone punches you in the face

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?
makes funny jokes

5. What was Mommy like as a child ?
playing all day

6. How old is Mommy?
I can't remember.

7. How tall is Mommy?
like 13 inches

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
watch football

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?
pick up

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what would it be for?
a smart idea

11. What is Mommy really good at?
exercise

12. What is Mommy not very good at?
killing dinosaurs

13. What does Mommy do for a job?
exercise again

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
spaghetti and meatballs

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
giving me treats

16. If Mommy was a cartoon character, who would she be?
Daisy from Wii's Sonic & Mario at the Winter Olympic Games

17. What do you and Mommy do together?
hug each other

18. How are you and your Mommy the same?
We like to play on the computer.

19. How are you and your Mommy different?
We wear different shirts.

20. How do you know your Mommy loves you?
when she gives me a heart

21. What does Mommy like most about Daddy?
when you see each other

22. Where is your Mommy's favorite place to go?
to the gym

A Peek at our Week 2011: Week 5

Saturday, January 29

This is what the life of a small business owner looks like.  Glamorous, no?  When he left the big law firm with the tremendous support staff, suddenly Brent became the IT guy, the maintenance man, the custodian, the moving crew, and the bill collector.  While he misses the support staff, it is so nice not working for The Man.  

Sunday, January 30

The weather this weekend has been glorious!  I am certain that it was a blessing sent from Heaven to help us make it until Spring.  We took full advantage of the warmer temps and did alot of spring activities:  helped Daddy wash the snow sludge off his car, went to the neighborhood playground, played outside with our friends, and hung a little bird "treat" that Will made at school this past week.  Will is so proud of his bird feeder.  He told me many times that "it has peanut butter on it but you can't eat it!"  I am sure this was his teacher's mantra while the children were working on them.  Daddy hung the treat from a tree we can see from the kitchen, so hopefully all of our backyard cardinals will enjoy it before the squirrels find it!

  

Monday, January 31

This silly boy, MY silly boy, had a fantastic day at school today!  First, it was Student Appreciation Day so all of the students had an out-of-uniform day.  Yay!  Second, as a special Student Appreciation treat, the PTA served the kids ice cream sundaes.  Yay! Yay!  Because you are dying to know (right?), Jack had chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup, gummie bears, M&Ms, sprinkles and whipped cream.  "Everything but the Oreos!"  But the most fantastic thing about today was that Jack won the Four Corners game for the first time all year.  Yay! Yay! Yay!  As Jack tells it, his win was cause for much celebration!  Raines picked him up in jubilation, and there were lots of high 5s, jumping and cheering among his friends.  "More than 90% of the class were cheering for me to win!"  And really, isn't life all about the little victories?!?!

      

Tuesday, February 1

This afternoon, our cousin Cal called Jack to discuss a few Webkinz issues.  And after awhile, it turned into a Webkinz play date across two states!  Here are all of the cousins watching the video "Tiger, Tiger" together.  Isn't that fun?!?!  Well, the mamas got smart and figured out how the boys' Webkinz pets can all be friends online.  Now the Webkinz pets will be able to visit each other's houses, play games together in the Clubhouse, and all sorts of fun stuff.  What a fun way for the cousins to keep in touch across the miles.

Wednesday, February 2

Guess who made a happy plate at dinner?  Our house rule is that if you eat all of your dinner, then you get dessert.  Don't eat your dinner?  That's fine, but no dessert.  And for Will, my picky eater, sometimes it is only the promise of an "ice cream deluxe" dessert that will 'help' him choke down those green beans.  Tonight, he got lucky!  It was one of his favorite dinners, Honey Chicken, so not only was he lickin' his dinner plate clean, but he was lickin' those ice cream fingers, too!

Thursday, February 3

I love this picture for so many reasons!  It captures what a ham Will is...he loves to have his picture taken, especially when he is being silly.  Will has several sweatshirts and jackets with hoodies and he will only wear them if the hoodie is over his head.   I'll say to him, "Will, are you my little homey?" To which he'll answer, "Yep!"  So when he tried on these glasses, I just laughed, "Hey Money!"  And Will broke out into his money dance while singing, "Money, money, money!  I love money!", right in the middle of Party City.  He is a such ham, just like his daddy, and I hope he'll always love to make others laugh.

 

 

Friday, February 4

Today was the most anticipated day of preschool... PAJAMA DAY!  The best part was that everyone could bring a stuffed animal & blanket, so Will was thrilled that Monkey and Blanklet would go to school, too!  (Brent and I were holding our breath because if Monkey or Blanklet didn't come home then Will wouldn't sleep tonight.)  For snack, the children ate heart-shaped pancakes with strawberry jam & maple syrup, AND hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Yummy!  The surprise of the day was that another class came to visit for a 'sleep over'.  Mrs. G read them stories while everyone cuddled with their lovies.  For my little lovebug who loves nothing more than to lay around and be lazy, this was the best school day ever!

 

The Many Faces of Jack and Will

After school today, we had to make a stop by Party City, where Will discovered the crazy sunglasses aisle.  The three of us had the best time laughing at each other and making each other laugh.

Here is our future frat boy...

...already on a bender.

 

 Jack showing his preference for the more sophisticated (and expensive) beverages...

 ...maybe I should add more money to his college account?

 Why does Lady Gaga come to mind?

Rock on, rock star!

 
Can ya spare a brother a dime?

Googly, golf eyes...

 How's about a little kiss...

Feeling lucky?

Soon to be...

 

 A little comic relief for the middle of our afternoon.

A Tasty Side or Snack

 I have discovered over the last couple of years, as I am trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle, that my favorite way to cook vegetables is roasting them.  I could never get on board the steamed vegetable bandwagon.  I tried, but really....blek!  The vegetables always tasted too 'green' for my liking.  Roasting just brings out so much flavor as the vegetables start to brown and they stay crispy & crunchy.  Roasted asparagus, roasted broccoli, and roasted sweet potatoes are regulars in our dinner rotation, and I've recently added roasted green beans.

This week I noticed a pre-packaged bag of sugar snap peas as I was strolling the grocery aisle sans children.  The key phrase being 'sans children', meaning I actually had time to lei-sure-ly stroll up and down the aisles looking at the groceries, instead of the usual Mario Andretti dash that I make trying to avoid the breakout of fisticuffs in the cart when the rugrats are with me.  The package gave directions for steaming them in the microwave or boiling them on the stove, but I thought I would give roasting the sugar snap peas a shot.

I made them this afternoon to go with my lunch AND THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!  I tossed the (8 oz) bag of peas with 1/2 Tbsp of dark sesame oil and sprinkled with a little seasoned salt.  Put them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes, stirred them around a bit, and then back in the oven for 2 minutes.  They were perfect!

The peas have such a sweet, nutty flavor but are still crunchy, kinda like you are crunching on chips.  What a fantastic snack!  These are so quick, easy and delicious that they have earned themselves a spot in our regular rotation!

A Peek at our Week 2011: Week 4

Saturday, January 22

Here is Jack calling out BINGO! during Family Game Night, hosted by our school's PTA.  The goal of Game Night is that every child leaves with a prize, much appreciated by the parents because who wants to take home a crying child?!?!  We bingo-ed twice on 5 across and once on blackout, and left with a slinky, yo-yo, flapper clapper, and mini football.  Pizza and Bingo are a fun way to spend a few hours. 

Sunday, January 23

 Every week, we eat at the same neighborhood Mexican restaurant.  They know us there.  They know that we like to sit in a booth, that we always order queso dip without jalapenos, that the boys get lids on their cups, that Brent wants a large Dos Equis, and that I need a strawberry margarita...just for starters.  It is nice to be understood.  Tonight, they gave us a complimentary order of churros.  They take good care of us.  See ya next week!

Monday, January 24

File this in the "just keepin it real" category.  It's Monday, it's laundry day.  Uggghhh!  And I wasn't even behind.  I just don't think it's possible for 4 people to create so many dirty clothes; I'm certain they reproduce in the basket.

Tuesday, January 25

The Spiritual Life moms met with Jack's class to share the Parable of the Lost Sheep.  Will joined us, sat next to Jack, and was so excited to be a part of the big kids.  Jack enjoyed his role as mentor and helped Will complete his lost sheep craft.  We stayed to eat lunch with Jack and loved seeing a glimpse of his school day.  I think Will is ready to be a kindergartener at this sweet school!  That time will be here before I am ready.

Wednesday, January 26

It was cold today...bitter cold with a mean, mean wind.  Playing outside wasn't an option.  So the boys had a pickup game of kitchen hockey, with southern boys' equipment:  lacrosse sticks, a plastic t-ball, and a soccer cone.  I'm happy to report that there were no black eyes and we still have all of our teeth!

Thursday, January 27

Jack has officially been a first grader for 100  school days now!  Today was a special day at school full of all fun things involving 100.  For snack, they had cupcakes that formed the number.  Jack's team (the dinosaurs) won the 100 piece puzzle competition!  Instead of the usual 60 seconds, they had 100 seconds to complete their mad minute skills.  And they read Emily's First 100 Days of School by Rosemary Wells.  It was a fun day!

Friday, January 28

 

Wow, it has been a busy day; well, week really!  Jack and Will both had good days at school.  Fridays are Will's long days at school when he stays until 2:30 pm.  I spent the day working at Brent's office trying to help them get everything up and running and organized.  Just a PSA to Comcast Business..."You are on my last nerve!  I hope the phones and voice mail are working properly on Monday, or my call to you will be ugly.  You have been warned."  I picked the boys up from school and we stopped by Panera for a special after school treat; their chocolate croissants are to die for!  And tonight we had a lovely dinner with our next door neighbors and across the street neighbors.  Elizabeth made Chicken Parmesan, Noreen made a wonderful salad, and I brought Pioneer Woman's Garlic Cheese Bread.   The children played while the adults talked and when I glanced down at my watch, it was after 10 pm.  Such a fun way to end the week.  But we are all tired and off to bed.

***This post completes goal #88 in my 101 in 1001.  Yay!  The first goal completed.***

A Peek at our Week 2011: Week 3

Saturday, January 15

After being snowed in all last week, we headed to Gramma and Granddaddy's for a visit.  They took us to a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner.  It was Will's first hibachi dining experience and he had the best time.  The chef was alot of fun and teased Will the entire dinner; he kept calling Will "Bill".  "My name is Will!"  And told Will that he would be having Taco Bell.  "I want my SHRIMP!"  Laughter and good food...a great dinner!

Sunday, January 16

Only one word for today...LAZY!  Everyone laid around all day, and Jack never changed out of his jammies.  He was glued to Gramma & Granddaddy's new iPad playing Angry Birds; Jack has been talking about playing Angry Birds since he found out they got an iPad.  Will was certain that Granddaddy needed to know how to play Super Mario Bros.  It amazes me how tech-savvy my children are, since I am so not!

Monday, January 17

me:  "Will!  You need a bath.  You smell like a puppy dog!"  
will: "But puppies are so adorable!"

After every bath, Will always asks us if he smells like a beautiful flower.  And we have to sniff him and affirm that he does!

Tuesday, January 18

Tuesdays are gymnastics days!  Will loves gymnastics class but balance beam days are not his favorite.  "The bars are much more funner!"  Will used to be terrified of the beam.  TER-RI-FIED.  But he has overcome his fear, and will walk forward, backward & sideways, will do flamingo, and will do forward & backward rolls on the beam without a death grip on Ms. Ema.  I couldn't be prouder!

Wednesday, January 19

Renovations at Brent's new office space are almost finished.  We are so excited!  Brent's partner's decorator is designing the space, and it is going to be beautiful.  Of course, a full post with pictures is coming once all the finishing touches are done.  Stay tuned....

Thursday, January 20

Today, we had to make up the gymnastics class from last week that was snowed out.  Our tradition is that after each class, Will gets to buy a little treat if he has been a good listener and followed directions.  Ahhh, the motivational power of chocolate.  The other children can be misbehaving like wild monkeys, and Will is right on task.  He isn't willing to risk losing his treat over silliness!    

Friday, January 21

Today was Jack's turn to bring Fabulous Friday snack, a special reward for all of the students who've had good behavior all week.  So for something really special, we ordered a yummy King Cake from Haydel's Bakery in New Orleans.  Jack's class was so excited!  Jack said that at snack time they were all chanting, "King Cake!  King Cake!"  Gigi found the baby so she got a surprise bag which included some beads, doubloons, and the history of the King Cake.  I sent in enough extra beads and doubloons so that everyone could have some.  While all the children sat at their desks, Jack threw the beads out Mardi Gras-style.  Jack came home from school so happy that everyone had a blast with Fabulous Friday snack.  And that makes me one happy mama.