9-6-14
Off to visit the grand babies I went and poor Joe got ripped off of a birthday dinner. Turns out this was not such a bad thing as Red Lobster kicked off his favorite meal of all times, Endless Shrimp! Must say though, he is turning into a light weight. Only ate four portions...
As for the rest of us, we decided to give the four course feast a whirl. What a bargain, soup, salad, entree with two sides and dessert. Hmm... and you still get those famous cheese biscuits. Suffice it to say I made it through about half of the entree (grilled Tilapia) and was calling for the to go box! I call that lunch tomorrow.
On the sad side, my handsome little B decided to have a fever and not feel so good. Those of you who know this little butterball should sit down for this.
He wouldn't eat.
Enough said.
His mother sent me a text when they got home that said 102.9. Poor little man. Hopefully he'll rebound quickly, his face was made for smiling!
As for my two darling granddaughters up North. Phone rang earlier and when I answered I heard, "Churchill, Churchill" and I said, "is he being good" and she said, "meow" and I said, "oh really" and she said, "baby" and I said, "where is A" and she said, "night night".
Not an incy wincy spider in sight today!
Question: what do you get when you cross two pieces of Bojangles chicken, dirty rice, kale with white beans and couscous, a package of sausage, a couple of tomatoes, a half a green paper, a half a red onion, some garlic cloves, a can of tomato sauce and a can of kidney beans?
Answer: a killer pot of chili!
Shared some with H & M but don't tell her I put a few tapas peppers in there too!
The kale with white beans and couscous was the side dish to some pretty tasty pork chops that I made Thursday night. Decided to have some for lunch on Friday and planned to put the rest of the chop in the chili but this was before B didn't feel well. He finished his black bean burger and half of my chop for lunch! Must say though, the marinade I made for the chops came out pretty tasty. Did a mix of spice rub and liquid sauce that I marinated in before cooking and then basted with while cooking. Used the indoor grill with a bit of smoked paprika in the rub. Thank you Bobby Flay, yet another tip that works like a charm!
9-3-14
Thinking you can blog in a house with a newborn and a toddler, priceless!
The last two weeks have been a total blast! I am exhausted but in a good way. A is the cutest little newborn of all times, reminds me of a tree frog the way she clings to you. I know they say babies this young don't smile but I'm telling you this one never stops and it is not accompanied by anything even remotely resembling the tummy troubles usually given the credit for said smiles!
C is going to be one heck of a big sister. She is so smart and has a heart of gold! She loves her "baby" and doesn't seem to tire of looking at her and fetching for her. For some unknown reason, she calls her pacifier "HOP" and is determined that A should have a hop in her mouth at all times (including when she is sleeping)! I think my daughter is going to have her hands full with all that helping!
We did so many things while I was up there, I don't even know where to begin. I was impressed that I remembered all of the words to the Goodbye Song from "The Bear in the Big Blue House" and I was even more impressed that C learned all of the finger play parts to Incy Wincy Spider in one day. Not bad for 20 months old!
We don't even want to discuss how many times I watched these nursery rhymes but when C shouted "Out, Out" the spider was on, on!
I look at this child in motion and immediately think of Taz from the Looney Tunes show. From the moment she wakes up she is ready to go full throttle. Everything you say to her she responds with "ok" and then she may or may not take action. Reminds me so much of her mother at that age! I think they make them so cute at this age as the survival of the species technique for homo sapiens. Every now and then she yells, "kisses" and runs up and leans against you (her version of a hug) and makes kissing noises. Definitely her saving grace move!
Had some great family time with my parentals and siblings. Did a shopping trip so we could do a trial run of the logistics of shopping with both kids. Hit one of my favorite restaurants for lunch. Cooked up a storm and stocked the freezer with thaw and heat up meals. Even managed a trip to the mall that taught us a few lessons on the importance of timing! And then, boom, two weeks are gone and it is time to head back to Joe and the kids.
Must admit, they were some tears off and on for the first few hours. Pandora is my new best friend and travelling South is much friendlier and cheaper than heading North, just saying...
Made it to Edgewood, MD the first night, would of kept going but thunderstorms were imminent and I'm no fool! For anyone who is interested, La Quinta is super nice, first time staying and I was impressed. Great Priceline Express Deal and breakfast even included fresh fruit salad, yum. A mini suite, complete with sofa, desk, tons of outlets, comfy bed, smelled good and was very clean!
I love Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is why I always stop here for gas:
Made it home before dinner (stopped and picked up Bojangles) like I said above, I'm no fool!
Glad to be home but sad to be home. Miss those girls (and the rest of my family) already!
