Are we there yet…

On Wednesday, sweet MR went in for her 15 month checkup. Besides “sshhing” the crying babies in the waiting room and “no, no, noing” a mom on her cell phone, she did perfectly! We love big babies in our family, so I was pleased to hear that she’s holding steady in the 90% for her weight and the 95% for her height. “Perfectly proportional and full of sass” as the doctor said. I would have to agree. It seems that Babygirl has an opinion on everything these days! She keeps us on our toes and constantly reminds of us how lucky we are to be her parents.

Practice makes perfect…dress #2 was much, much easier. This one needs to be monogrammed, but I love the fun, brightly colored fabric.

Packing for Camp Grandparents…

Back in the 80’s, it seemed that every kid in school had a pair of jams. Comfortable, brightly colored fabric made these shorts a fashion must. I, too, wanted in on the action and can vividly remember begging my mom and dad to buy me a pair. Not long after, I received a hand-made pair from my grandmother. Faded fabric and an above the knee cut made these shorts the laughing stock of school. They were not jams. Not even close.

Last night, as I sat at my sewing machine, I realized that I have about 5 more years until MR refuses to wear handmade clothes. Frantically sewing, I came to the conclusion that it may take me until then to learn the basics of my new-found hobby. What should take 5 minutes, takes me 20. One broken needle and lots of sighs later, I finished making her her first a-line dress. It’s big, as in she will probably be able to wear it this time next year. And has a few minor flaws, but it has MR written all over it!

At 16 months, she knows how to say “please” and “thank you”. She waves to every passerby and never leaves the room without blowing a kiss and saying “bye bye”. Her smile is contagious. And she smiles a lot. She laughs at her own jokes and brushes herself off when she falls. She’s something else. 

Like most southern belles,

she likes to keep a clean house.

She says the blessing before every meal and every snack.

She’s a free spirit with an undeniable zest for life.

She knows the importance of accessorizing. Although she doesn’t always love the bow, she respects it. And she asks for it every morning by name. She knows that in the south, bigger is always better.

She thinks her daddy hung the moon.

She’s not scared to make a fashion statement.

And, she’s always ready for an adventure!

Happy 16 months, sweet Mary Reese! You make us smile each and every day and we love you very much!!!

I should have known it was going to be one of those days when…

A flock of black birds visited my yard, woke up a sleeping MR, and made Little Rosy a bathroom stop,

I had to rescue MR from her kitchen after she got stuck in the sink. A MAJOR temper tantrum followed,

Mary Reese put Sadie’s favorite toy in the toilet and then proceeded to flush,

I caught MR dumping a brand new container of jewelry cleaner out on the bathroom floor and applying it to her face. No worries, I have spent the last hour or so baby proofing the house so that this will not happen again.

It’s days like today that I am reminded of what’s REALLY important. The fact that I have a healthy and happy family far outweighs the messes, temper tantrums, and challenges of everyday life. For these blessings, I am ever so grateful!

Every Sunday, I spend about thirty minutes planing the menu for the week. It’s not my favorite task, but something that we must do in order to achieve our grocery budget. This past week, while planning, I was thrilled to discover that a dinner function on Saturday and a gift card from Cracker Barrel would mean two less home cooked meals. This in turn meant less dishes to clean and an excuse to drink free beer and eat greasy southern food.

On Saturday, G and I attended an IT function at Fernbank Museum. Aunt B kindly agreed to watch MR while Garrett and I enjoyed cocktails, music, an IMAX film, and dinner under a life sized replica of an Argentinosauraus. Yep, we felt pretty important. And somewhat socially incompetent. The event was yet another reminder that we still, despite our new year’s resolution, do not get out enough.

On Sunday, we were off to the Cracker Barrel to use an old gift card that had been burning a hole in G’s pocket for months. We ate amongst the other churchgoers and filled our bellies with all things fried. G and I couldn’t have been any happier if we were eating at the Ritz Carlton. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but the meal was pretty close to perfection. And the fact that it was free made it all the better.

Tonight, we sit by the window watching the snow flurries fall. Any amount of snow in the great state of Georgia is equivalent to a blizzard in the northeast. Like most southerners, I’m tempted to run to the grocery store to stock up on water and bread. And like most southerners, I’m tickled pink by all things free, whether it’s food, drinks, a four day weekend, or just some extra time with my two favorite people.

Petey Pie has really come into her own since Christmas. Those “other” parents were right—walking is a whole ‘nother ballgame.

MR made it very clear that my singing was not up to par while listening to the Elmo song. Ssshhhing, shaking her finger, and shouting “no, no, no,” was all the hint I needed to keep my singing voice to myself. While my pride was hurt, I did come to the realization that my yearn to compete on American Idol was a bit of a stretch.

Alright. Enough is enough. Before you go on getting too excited, wondering if I can in fact carry a tune, let me stop you right there. I have never had the slightest desire to be on American Idol. No sir re bob, I’m holding out for my reality debut on next season’s Atlanta’s Housewives. Stay tuned…I have a feeling me and Nene are going to be as thick as thieves.

This little girl loves all things polka dots, so polka dots it is! These pants are far from perfect and definitely not worthy of out of the house attire, but I had so much fun making them! And at just a dollar to make, they will make perfect play clothes for sweet Mary Reese!

Alright, alright…I’ll admit, I’m from the south and am not a huge fan of Paula Deen’s. On more than one occasion, her recipes have been categorized as “non-repeat” offenders in our household. That being said, I do have a few favorites that are worthy of all of that extra “budder” (butter). Here is one that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Gooey Toffee Butter Cake:

Cake:
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup almond toffee bits or chocolate toffee bits

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 by-2-inch baking pan.

For the cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

For the filling: Still using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners’ sugar and beat well. Reduce the speed and slowly pour in butter. Mix well. Fold in toffee bits.

Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don’t be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don’t bake it past that point!

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares. Just remember that these wonderful cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way!