I HAVE to share this recipe for vegetable lasagna because normally, I would not think this was nearly as yummy as it is. I found it in some parents magazine a couple of months ago and thought I'd give it a whirl. Since it doesn't contain meat, I just knew Adam would make a comment about it "missing something". To my surprise, he loved it! Even Hayes gobbled it up and we've made it several times since! I made it just yesterday for my sweet friend Elise who just had a baby girl (adorable Adele) last week. Hope they enjoy it as much as we have!
Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 red, orange, or yellow pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 8 lasagna noodles (we use whole wheat and you can't tell)
- 1 carton ricotta or cottage cheese (depending on preference)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Prepare zucchini, pepper, and carrots and put them all in one big bowl. Add 2 tbl water, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes, then drain.Add the spinach and set aside.
2. In a 9x13 dish, layer 1/2 cup sauce, 4 noodles, half the veggies, half the ricotta, 1 cup sauce, then 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 4 more noodles, remaining veggies, remaining ricotta, 1/3 cup mozzarella, and the rest of the sauce. Top it with the remaining 1/3 of the mozzarella and cover with foil.
3. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
So, I know I mentioned in my earlier post that we had recently had our laundry room redone, but I wanted to elaborate on the process. For those of you who haven't seen it before we made the improvements, I've added some "before" pictures to help you appreciate the "after" ones a little more.
As you can see, it was about as bad as a room can get and an eyesore from the moment we saw it. From a popcorn ceiling with a patched up crawl space entry to flimsy wood paneling, this was clearly a do-it-yourself kind of renovation on the cheap. The vinyl flooring had been literally eaten by something (long before we moved in thankfully) and the wire shelving was ridiculously ugly and ineffective. The light fixtures were shiny brass and faux crystal, yet were probably the nicest thing in the room. Nearly five years ago when we bought the house, I assumed it would be the first room we tackled. But somehow, other rooms gained priority and the laundry room sat untouched for all of this time. Part of the rationale was that no one ever saw the laundry room. I mean, when you visit someone's house, how many times do you see their laundry room? The other argument was that for so long, it was the dog's room. Sadly, it contains dogs no longer and there was finally no legitimate excuse for its pitifully outdated state.
Now that we're on one income, renovations are pretty much a luxury, if not a far-off dream these days. So, I began scouring the internet and ended up entering three different laundry room makeover sweepstakes. Adam kindly humored me by videoing my pleas to "pimp my laundry room", but alas, they went unanswered. Fortunately, my hubby knew just the thing to make this gal feel loved on Mother's Day and that's how we ended up with this.....
It's nothing fancy, but it sure feels luxurious to me! I never thought I would enjoy doing laundry as much as I have over the last couple of weeks, but I swear I find myself making up excuses to go in there. I jump at the opportunity to iron a pair of moderately wrinkled shorts! I run to the dryer when it buzzes to begin folding the clothes. Strange, I know, but very, very satisfying. We should have done this years ago......
As you can see, it was about as bad as a room can get and an eyesore from the moment we saw it. From a popcorn ceiling with a patched up crawl space entry to flimsy wood paneling, this was clearly a do-it-yourself kind of renovation on the cheap. The vinyl flooring had been literally eaten by something (long before we moved in thankfully) and the wire shelving was ridiculously ugly and ineffective. The light fixtures were shiny brass and faux crystal, yet were probably the nicest thing in the room. Nearly five years ago when we bought the house, I assumed it would be the first room we tackled. But somehow, other rooms gained priority and the laundry room sat untouched for all of this time. Part of the rationale was that no one ever saw the laundry room. I mean, when you visit someone's house, how many times do you see their laundry room? The other argument was that for so long, it was the dog's room. Sadly, it contains dogs no longer and there was finally no legitimate excuse for its pitifully outdated state.
Now that we're on one income, renovations are pretty much a luxury, if not a far-off dream these days. So, I began scouring the internet and ended up entering three different laundry room makeover sweepstakes. Adam kindly humored me by videoing my pleas to "pimp my laundry room", but alas, they went unanswered. Fortunately, my hubby knew just the thing to make this gal feel loved on Mother's Day and that's how we ended up with this.....
It's nothing fancy, but it sure feels luxurious to me! I never thought I would enjoy doing laundry as much as I have over the last couple of weeks, but I swear I find myself making up excuses to go in there. I jump at the opportunity to iron a pair of moderately wrinkled shorts! I run to the dryer when it buzzes to begin folding the clothes. Strange, I know, but very, very satisfying. We should have done this years ago......
Sunday, June 6, 2010
We're so excited that summer is finally here and hoping to squeeze in lots of fun, friends, and family in the next few months! So far, we're off to a great start....
Mothers Day this year was extra special now that our little family is finally complete. We spent the day at Lovie and Papa's house with Aunt Lala, Uncle Andrew, and cousin Greer. There is nothing better than watching the little ones play together, even as young as they are. Adam and I both have such fond memories of playing with our own cousins as children and know that they'll enjoy it as much as we did in the years to come.
My Mother's Day present was the best ever.....not diamonds, not a spa treatment, or a shopping spree either.....a new laundry room! Who'd have guessed that something so unglamorous could make a girl feel so special? If you've seen it pre-renovation, you know what I mean. No more dog-eaten vinyl floors, paneled walls, or wire shelving. I'm completely in love! Thanks Adam, Gray, and Hayes for the best Mother's Day gift ever!
It definitely overshadowed the 8" of water we found in the den the weekend before, which ruined our wool rug and left permanent water marks on our leather couch. Not a fun thing to wake up to in the morning, but we know so many others had it so much worse in other parts of the region.
Last Friday, we had a great time at Zoo Brew with our good friends, the Higdons, and enjoyed what was probably the nicest night (weatherwise) that we'll have all summer. If you've never been, it's a great event, especially if you like beer. I was a little underwhelmed by the food, but the people watching and music were great. Unfortunately, we had to head home at an earlier hour than we wanted so we could leave early the next morning for our first family vacation. Trust me, we were glad we went home when we did....a 9+ hour car ride with 2 little ones would not have been a great combo with a hangover. Even after getting a DVD player installed in the car and filling a bag with Dollar Tree treats and munchies, Hayes still fussed the majority of the way. Gray, on the other hand, couldn't have been easier and stayed glued to the movies, furiously shoving Scooby Snacks into his mouth the whole way there. As it turns out, poor Hazey had an ear infection, which we learned only after visiting the Destin Urgent Care facility a few days after our arrival. But after a day on a Z-Pack, she was back to her old self for the most part and we were glad to have our sweet bird back. Hayes had an otherwise wonderful time in Florida and loved the sand, the pool, and having her Lovie, Papa, and P there to love on her. We are convinced that she was waiting for an audience because while we were there she started walking! She's been standing for a few weeks on her own and even taking a step or two at a time. But, now she's officially a walker and we can already see we've got our hands full with her!
In typical Gray fashion, he threw us for a loop and hated the beach from the instant he saw it. He cried when his feet touched the sand, screamed when he went into the seaweed-filled water, and begged to go back to "Mempis" on a regular basis. We were convinced that over time his fears would vanish and he would learn to love the beach that his Mommy and Daddy grew up visiting, but no such luck. All I can say is thank goodness for the pool. We went at least once a day and he adored every second we were there. He loved his puddle jumper and how independent he could be with it on and had so much fun jumping into our arms from the side. I'm still not giving up on the beach with him, but I know now that we always have to have a pool wherever we stay just in case. We had so much fun watching the ships and fish come in at the docks at the end of the day, getting ice cream at the famous Kilwin's, breakfast at the Donut Hole, and seafood almost every night. But most of all, we loved reminiscing about the things we did when were kids at the beach and knowing that one day our kids will look back and do the same. Here's to reliving old memories and making new ones!
The Pattersons
Mothers Day this year was extra special now that our little family is finally complete. We spent the day at Lovie and Papa's house with Aunt Lala, Uncle Andrew, and cousin Greer. There is nothing better than watching the little ones play together, even as young as they are. Adam and I both have such fond memories of playing with our own cousins as children and know that they'll enjoy it as much as we did in the years to come.
My Mother's Day present was the best ever.....not diamonds, not a spa treatment, or a shopping spree either.....a new laundry room! Who'd have guessed that something so unglamorous could make a girl feel so special? If you've seen it pre-renovation, you know what I mean. No more dog-eaten vinyl floors, paneled walls, or wire shelving. I'm completely in love! Thanks Adam, Gray, and Hayes for the best Mother's Day gift ever!It definitely overshadowed the 8" of water we found in the den the weekend before, which ruined our wool rug and left permanent water marks on our leather couch. Not a fun thing to wake up to in the morning, but we know so many others had it so much worse in other parts of the region.
Last Friday, we had a great time at Zoo Brew with our good friends, the Higdons, and enjoyed what was probably the nicest night (weatherwise) that we'll have all summer. If you've never been, it's a great event, especially if you like beer. I was a little underwhelmed by the food, but the people watching and music were great. Unfortunately, we had to head home at an earlier hour than we wanted so we could leave early the next morning for our first family vacation. Trust me, we were glad we went home when we did....a 9+ hour car ride with 2 little ones would not have been a great combo with a hangover. Even after getting a DVD player installed in the car and filling a bag with Dollar Tree treats and munchies, Hayes still fussed the majority of the way. Gray, on the other hand, couldn't have been easier and stayed glued to the movies, furiously shoving Scooby Snacks into his mouth the whole way there. As it turns out, poor Hazey had an ear infection, which we learned only after visiting the Destin Urgent Care facility a few days after our arrival. But after a day on a Z-Pack, she was back to her old self for the most part and we were glad to have our sweet bird back. Hayes had an otherwise wonderful time in Florida and loved the sand, the pool, and having her Lovie, Papa, and P there to love on her. We are convinced that she was waiting for an audience because while we were there she started walking! She's been standing for a few weeks on her own and even taking a step or two at a time. But, now she's officially a walker and we can already see we've got our hands full with her!
In typical Gray fashion, he threw us for a loop and hated the beach from the instant he saw it. He cried when his feet touched the sand, screamed when he went into the seaweed-filled water, and begged to go back to "Mempis" on a regular basis. We were convinced that over time his fears would vanish and he would learn to love the beach that his Mommy and Daddy grew up visiting, but no such luck. All I can say is thank goodness for the pool. We went at least once a day and he adored every second we were there. He loved his puddle jumper and how independent he could be with it on and had so much fun jumping into our arms from the side. I'm still not giving up on the beach with him, but I know now that we always have to have a pool wherever we stay just in case. We had so much fun watching the ships and fish come in at the docks at the end of the day, getting ice cream at the famous Kilwin's, breakfast at the Donut Hole, and seafood almost every night. But most of all, we loved reminiscing about the things we did when were kids at the beach and knowing that one day our kids will look back and do the same. Here's to reliving old memories and making new ones!The Pattersons
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Time flies....
Once again I'm sitting here in disbelief about how much time has passed since I last posted and how much more has happened! Now that Staxtacular is completely wrapped up, I have been enjoying the extra time with the kids and trying to make the most of Spring before Summer arrives and it's too darn hot to do anything. We've been to the zoo several times, and My Big Backyard, and have had a great time playing with our neighbors too. I love High Point and all of the little families here. Just the other day when we were outside in the yard, our neighbors asked us over for dinner along with some other neighbors. It's things like this that make it hard to imagine living anywhere else.
Adam is really settling into his new job and LOVING the fact that he's no longer traveling. I had forgotten how nice things could be with him around all the time. I'm getting spoiled! Just yesterday we met at a park near his work for lunch so that the kids could play and we could spend some time together. What a perfect day!
Hayes is into everything these days and so much fun. She is crawling (if that's what you want to call it) and can get anywhere she wants to get with a little effort. She pulls up, cruises, and can even balance on her two feet for a couple of minutes before plopping back down. She is clapping, waving bye-bye, spinning around, and saying "uh oh", "bubba", and of course "momma" and "dada". She tries to mimic the sounds she hears us make and remains in awe of her big brother, or "bubba", as she calls him. She has 4 teeth and is busting out of her 12 months clothing already, even though she's only 10 months old. She has been refusing baby food all together for a couple of months now and has very little interest in her bottles. Thankfully, she'll pretty much eat whatever we eat, especially if she sees Gray eating it. Thank goodness for peer pressure and copycat syndrome! We have started to think about her 1 year party and even though I thought I'd be sad about it, since this is my last baby, I couldn't be more excited. Having seen Gray go through the stages and ages that she is about to enter, I am filled with anticipation more than anything else. She is such a sweet, funny, crazy little girl and I can't wait to see what type of a toddler she becomes!
Gray is, as always, a mess and I love every second of it. He is talking in full-blown sentences, repeating everything he hears, and learning to push my buttons. He loves to interact with Hayes, but is still very against sharing anything with her, which we are working constantly on. I know that we have some big challenges ahead with potty training, putting him in a big boy bed, and taking the paci away, but for the next little while we are just going to let things be as they are and when he's ready, we'll take the plunge. Yikes!
We've had some bad luck here over the last couple of weeks with the microwave going out (or being blown up by Adam, I should say), the den flooding, etc. but overall, I can't complain. It saddens me to hear about all of the people who are suffering as a result of the oil spill and the recent weather and my heart goes out to them as they begin to pick up the pieces. Until next time.....
The Pattersons
Adam is really settling into his new job and LOVING the fact that he's no longer traveling. I had forgotten how nice things could be with him around all the time. I'm getting spoiled! Just yesterday we met at a park near his work for lunch so that the kids could play and we could spend some time together. What a perfect day!
Gray is, as always, a mess and I love every second of it. He is talking in full-blown sentences, repeating everything he hears, and learning to push my buttons. He loves to interact with Hayes, but is still very against sharing anything with her, which we are working constantly on. I know that we have some big challenges ahead with potty training, putting him in a big boy bed, and taking the paci away, but for the next little while we are just going to let things be as they are and when he's ready, we'll take the plunge. Yikes!We've had some bad luck here over the last couple of weeks with the microwave going out (or being blown up by Adam, I should say), the den flooding, etc. but overall, I can't complain. It saddens me to hear about all of the people who are suffering as a result of the oil spill and the recent weather and my heart goes out to them as they begin to pick up the pieces. Until next time.....
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Spring is here!
I can't believe that Spring is finally here after what seemed like a torturous winter. While we aren't usually the most active people in the winter months, we REALLY hibernated this winter with Hayes being a baby and still trying to get a handle on 2 little ones. It was great being with my little family so much in our comfy little house, but we got a little cabin fever towards the end and are ready to enjoy Spring!
We've been pretty busy the last month or so with a lot of life happenings. Adam made a tough decision to leave CSG after 7 years and has started a new job at First Mercantile Trust. It is always hard to leave behind the kind of familiarity, friends, and history that he had there, but he is already loving his new job and I, for one, couldn't be happier with the change. Not only will he not have to travel, except on rare occasions, but he is so less stressed! We feel so blessed to have this opportunity and we are both looking forward to what it holds for our future. I, on the other hand, have been busy planning Staxtacular, the event that I've been working on for the past 6 months. I am so excited to report that some 350 Memphians showed up last Friday night to party with the Memphis Grizzlies and other local celebs at what turned out to be the most fabulous event I've ever been to, much less been a part of. The food and flowers were breathtaking, the Bo-Keys put on an amazing show, and the live auction was spectacular, raising almost $10,000 with just 3 items! I feel so honored to have been a part of such a wonderful event and the opportunity couldn't have presented itself to me at a better time. I needed a distraction and the chance to spend more time with my family, and that's exactly what I got. God is good!
Poor little Hayes has been sick for nearly the past month with what turned out to be RSV. When we couldn't get rid of her high fever and she began vomiting almost every time she coughed, we knew she was one sick little gal. While she was originally diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection/ear infection, when it didn't go away with antibiotics, they finally tested her for RSV, which she had. But, our little bird is back to her hold self and is getting her upper two teeth! She is eating everything in sight from avocados to broccoli to mandarin oranges, which is great considering she's boycotting all baby food. Let's just hope she stays a good eater because Lord knows I can't have two picky eaters like I was (though I know I probably deserve it). While she hasn't started crawling, she can scoot backwards and stand with little-to-no support. She just might be one of those kids that skips crawling all together at this rate!
Gray, too, has been a sick little bug. Somehow he contracted thrush and has been pretty uncomfortable ever since. Fortunately with all of the Easter egg hunts and school parties this week, he's been easily distracted by chocolate candy and the promise of a visit from the Easter bunny. I can't wait until he sees the wheelbarrow that the Easter bunny is bringing him! He has LOVED this weather and takes every opportunity to play in the backyard. Maybe after all this work we're about to have done to make it drain properly, he'll actually have some grass to play in instead of mud. If you asked him, I'm sure he'd say he preferred the mud...unless I said it first. In fact, he pretty much argues with EVERYTHING I say these days. If I say it's black, he says it's white. If I say there's a dog on TV, he says it's a cat. I was relieved to find out that this bullheadedness was also a characteristic of Adam as a child, according to his mom, as surely I can't be to blame for everything bad he does, right? I mean, he does look like my replica, but that shouldn't mean he acts just like me also. His poor teacher at school said that in her 15 years of teaching, she's never been so challenged by a child, or so charmed. She says he negotiates with the other children to get better toys for himself, he takes an hour or more to eat his lunch so the class is always waiting on him to finish, and he bites his arm when he gets frustrated. I worry about what that means for the years to come and have been stressing over our disciplinary tactics. For now, all I can do is pray that a lot of love and consistent discipline will shape him into the sweet boy I know he can be. In the meantime, I'm going to need a lot of wine.
Cheers!
The Patterson
Poor little Hayes has been sick for nearly the past month with what turned out to be RSV. When we couldn't get rid of her high fever and she began vomiting almost every time she coughed, we knew she was one sick little gal. While she was originally diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection/ear infection, when it didn't go away with antibiotics, they finally tested her for RSV, which she had. But, our little bird is back to her hold self and is getting her upper two teeth! She is eating everything in sight from avocados to broccoli to mandarin oranges, which is great considering she's boycotting all baby food. Let's just hope she stays a good eater because Lord knows I can't have two picky eaters like I was (though I know I probably deserve it). While she hasn't started crawling, she can scoot backwards and stand with little-to-no support. She just might be one of those kids that skips crawling all together at this rate!
Gray, too, has been a sick little bug. Somehow he contracted thrush and has been pretty uncomfortable ever since. Fortunately with all of the Easter egg hunts and school parties this week, he's been easily distracted by chocolate candy and the promise of a visit from the Easter bunny. I can't wait until he sees the wheelbarrow that the Easter bunny is bringing him! He has LOVED this weather and takes every opportunity to play in the backyard. Maybe after all this work we're about to have done to make it drain properly, he'll actually have some grass to play in instead of mud. If you asked him, I'm sure he'd say he preferred the mud...unless I said it first. In fact, he pretty much argues with EVERYTHING I say these days. If I say it's black, he says it's white. If I say there's a dog on TV, he says it's a cat. I was relieved to find out that this bullheadedness was also a characteristic of Adam as a child, according to his mom, as surely I can't be to blame for everything bad he does, right? I mean, he does look like my replica, but that shouldn't mean he acts just like me also. His poor teacher at school said that in her 15 years of teaching, she's never been so challenged by a child, or so charmed. She says he negotiates with the other children to get better toys for himself, he takes an hour or more to eat his lunch so the class is always waiting on him to finish, and he bites his arm when he gets frustrated. I worry about what that means for the years to come and have been stressing over our disciplinary tactics. For now, all I can do is pray that a lot of love and consistent discipline will shape him into the sweet boy I know he can be. In the meantime, I'm going to need a lot of wine.Cheers!
The Patterson
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A little bit of this and a little bit of that
The past month has really been a blur. It has snowed several times, which provided great entertainment for Gray who got to build his first snowman and experience his first sled ride. On his Daddy's old sled, he flew down Lovie and Papa's downhill driveway with a huge smile on his face....that's my daredevil! I wish I had pictures, but my camera died in the middle of it.
Someone finally gave us the name of a good hair stylist for Gray....someone that specializes in children's hair, so much so that they call her the "Hair whisperer". They weren't lying. Not only was she successful in completing a haircut on Gray (a first in a very long time), but she actually did a darn good job. Her tricks, which were pretty clever, included a toy dinosaur that only ate hair and of course, lots of lollipops. At one point, Gray had 5 Dum Dums in one hand, covered in hair clippings, but was as happy as a lark. All's well that ends well in my book!
Hayes had her first school photos and we are so excited about seeing them. I know she'll be such a doll in them and has probably already changed from them! She finally had her 6 month checkup since she couldn't get her vaccines when her ears were infected and she was in the 70% for weight and the 90% for height! She was doing great on her development and is working so hard to learn how to crawl. If she's anything like Gray, she'll be doing the army crawl any day now and crawling like a pro by this time next month. Every time I turn around that child has grown more hair, if that's even possible. She is so sweet and happy and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES her big brother. Even when he bulldozes her flat on her back, she shakes it off and never stops adoring him. Wonder how long that will last?
The adults around here have been having fun too for a change. Adam and I had our good friends, the Coles, over for dinner a couple of weeks ago and had a great time catching up. Of course, there's never a dull moment around here and this night was no different. Our sink backed up thanks to the pounds of sweet potatoes I peeled and Mr. Rooter had to interrupt our dinner to help unclog the drain. Another $200 literally down the drain. Sigh.
The next weekend, Adam and I really got a taste of the old life. We went to the Thomas' house Friday night to help celebrate Katie's 30th birthday, with the help of Lovie and Papa, and then out for a romantic Valentine's Day Dinner at Judd's new restaurant, with the help of P. My mom stayed in town for 5 days and helped us get some stuff done, run errands, and even sneak in a movie. We realized, sadly, that it had been 14 months since the last movie we had seen in a theatre! Crazy!
The terrible twos are in full effect these days. Gray spends most of his free time in the time-out chair, but we are just trying to stay the course and hope that it works at some point. He's getting more and more mischievious as the days go by and we have to really watch him with Hayes. The other day, I caught him feeding Hayes popcorn. How do you teach a 2-year old to share and then explain that there are certain things they can't share? Yesterday, Gray and I were in my bedroom while I was getting ready. I walked out for 2 seconds to grab a diaper so I could change him. When I returned, I couldn't get back in my bedroom because he had locked the door! We both panicked because I couldn't find the key or get anyone on the phone that I thought would know what to do. I finally unscrewed the doorknob so I could at least see him and he was dancing around the room singing the theme song to "Super Why". Clearly, he was no longer panicking and my fear turned to sheer frustration. Fortunately, it took Adam another 20 minutes to get home, which gave me some time to cool off. Lord help him if he pulls that stunt again, but if he does, we now have a key hidden on top of the door frame. Lesson learned.
It was Adam's mom's birthday this week so we all headed over there this morning for an early lunch to help celebrate her special day. You can't beat Central BBQ and family on a Saturday! Hayes and Greer had a big ole' time "playing" together but I think it was more entertaining for the adults than the babies (isn't that always the case?). With the exception of one time-out episode, Gray did well too and had fun playing with his toys and hanging out with his family. We're now looking forward to a quiet night at home, catching up on "Big Love", and getting a good night's sleep. Until next time....
P.S. Sorry there are no pics this time.....it wouldn't let me upload any! :(
The Pattersons
Someone finally gave us the name of a good hair stylist for Gray....someone that specializes in children's hair, so much so that they call her the "Hair whisperer". They weren't lying. Not only was she successful in completing a haircut on Gray (a first in a very long time), but she actually did a darn good job. Her tricks, which were pretty clever, included a toy dinosaur that only ate hair and of course, lots of lollipops. At one point, Gray had 5 Dum Dums in one hand, covered in hair clippings, but was as happy as a lark. All's well that ends well in my book!
Hayes had her first school photos and we are so excited about seeing them. I know she'll be such a doll in them and has probably already changed from them! She finally had her 6 month checkup since she couldn't get her vaccines when her ears were infected and she was in the 70% for weight and the 90% for height! She was doing great on her development and is working so hard to learn how to crawl. If she's anything like Gray, she'll be doing the army crawl any day now and crawling like a pro by this time next month. Every time I turn around that child has grown more hair, if that's even possible. She is so sweet and happy and LOVES, LOVES, LOVES her big brother. Even when he bulldozes her flat on her back, she shakes it off and never stops adoring him. Wonder how long that will last?
The adults around here have been having fun too for a change. Adam and I had our good friends, the Coles, over for dinner a couple of weeks ago and had a great time catching up. Of course, there's never a dull moment around here and this night was no different. Our sink backed up thanks to the pounds of sweet potatoes I peeled and Mr. Rooter had to interrupt our dinner to help unclog the drain. Another $200 literally down the drain. Sigh.
The next weekend, Adam and I really got a taste of the old life. We went to the Thomas' house Friday night to help celebrate Katie's 30th birthday, with the help of Lovie and Papa, and then out for a romantic Valentine's Day Dinner at Judd's new restaurant, with the help of P. My mom stayed in town for 5 days and helped us get some stuff done, run errands, and even sneak in a movie. We realized, sadly, that it had been 14 months since the last movie we had seen in a theatre! Crazy!
The terrible twos are in full effect these days. Gray spends most of his free time in the time-out chair, but we are just trying to stay the course and hope that it works at some point. He's getting more and more mischievious as the days go by and we have to really watch him with Hayes. The other day, I caught him feeding Hayes popcorn. How do you teach a 2-year old to share and then explain that there are certain things they can't share? Yesterday, Gray and I were in my bedroom while I was getting ready. I walked out for 2 seconds to grab a diaper so I could change him. When I returned, I couldn't get back in my bedroom because he had locked the door! We both panicked because I couldn't find the key or get anyone on the phone that I thought would know what to do. I finally unscrewed the doorknob so I could at least see him and he was dancing around the room singing the theme song to "Super Why". Clearly, he was no longer panicking and my fear turned to sheer frustration. Fortunately, it took Adam another 20 minutes to get home, which gave me some time to cool off. Lord help him if he pulls that stunt again, but if he does, we now have a key hidden on top of the door frame. Lesson learned.
It was Adam's mom's birthday this week so we all headed over there this morning for an early lunch to help celebrate her special day. You can't beat Central BBQ and family on a Saturday! Hayes and Greer had a big ole' time "playing" together but I think it was more entertaining for the adults than the babies (isn't that always the case?). With the exception of one time-out episode, Gray did well too and had fun playing with his toys and hanging out with his family. We're now looking forward to a quiet night at home, catching up on "Big Love", and getting a good night's sleep. Until next time....
P.S. Sorry there are no pics this time.....it wouldn't let me upload any! :(
The Pattersons
Sunday, January 24, 2010
It is been a tough month around the Patterson household with Hayes fighting constant ear infections, which finally resulted in tubes. Gray, too, had tubes put in at just 6 months and even though it's a familiar routine for us, it's no less traumatic. Her ears still seem to be bothering her, but we're hoping it's due to the procedure and not any remaining infection. She has also had her first tooth come in over the last month and her second is close behind, so she's having fun trying all sorts of new foods and enjoying them all so far. Hopefully she'll be a better eater than Gray was/is. She is also sitting up all on her own and it has made all the difference in the world in her life AND mine! She is so much more content to be alone and LOVES playing right along next to her big brother (even though he never shares and usually ends up taking one of her toys and barreling over her). I am already feeling like their proximity in age is a blessing and am looking forward to all that is to come as a result.
Gray, too, has been busy, busy like always. He had a terrible cold a few weeks back and had to stay holed up in the house for 5 days, which was no fun for any of us. But he's feeling great now and getting into everything once again. I attempted to get his hair cut when we were at the mall two weeks ago, but he misbehaved so badly that the poor lady finally gave up and asked us to go somewhere else. Thankfully she didn't charge us, but I felt terribly sorry for her and so angry at Gray for doing that. Someone recently told us about the "hair whisperer", a woman that specializes in children's haircuts, and we will try her out this Tuesday in an attempt to even out Gray's jagged bowl cut. Wish us luck!
The cold weather has kept us pretty locked down for the past month, but we've had some fun here and there. Our godson, Airey, turned 3 last week and we had a great time painting pottery at his birthday party. Gray has really enjoyed toting his ceramic cupcake around and showing off its unique paint job, which is a combination of all of the colors he was given as well as a few crayons for good measure. Hayes made a little tea cup and saucer that I know she will love playing with soon enough. This past Saturday, we joined our friends Brent, Shelley, and Carter at Buckman Performing Arts Center to watch the Mariachi Band's performance for kids. We took the kids on the stage and clapped and danced as they serenaded us. What a fun day! Last night, Linda offered to babysit so Adam and I could go on a long overdue date and we headed out to a new Mexican restaurant called Las Delicias. It was so good and fresh and we can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu! Great suggestion Linda! They went twice last week because they liked it so much!
It seems like time is flying by these days and every time I turn around, Gray's vocabulary has expanded tenfold and Hayes has hit even more milestones. Adam stays busy with work and travel during the week, and I with my big event and keeping the kids in check. We are so busy, in fact, that sometimes I think we forget to take a step back and cherish the memories we are making. This blog helps me do that and for that, I am so thankful. Thank you Sarah Ella for inspiring me to do it and reminding me to keep up with it. I know we'll be glad we did!
Until next time,
The Pattersons
Gray, too, has been busy, busy like always. He had a terrible cold a few weeks back and had to stay holed up in the house for 5 days, which was no fun for any of us. But he's feeling great now and getting into everything once again. I attempted to get his hair cut when we were at the mall two weeks ago, but he misbehaved so badly that the poor lady finally gave up and asked us to go somewhere else. Thankfully she didn't charge us, but I felt terribly sorry for her and so angry at Gray for doing that. Someone recently told us about the "hair whisperer", a woman that specializes in children's haircuts, and we will try her out this Tuesday in an attempt to even out Gray's jagged bowl cut. Wish us luck!
The cold weather has kept us pretty locked down for the past month, but we've had some fun here and there. Our godson, Airey, turned 3 last week and we had a great time painting pottery at his birthday party. Gray has really enjoyed toting his ceramic cupcake around and showing off its unique paint job, which is a combination of all of the colors he was given as well as a few crayons for good measure. Hayes made a little tea cup and saucer that I know she will love playing with soon enough. This past Saturday, we joined our friends Brent, Shelley, and Carter at Buckman Performing Arts Center to watch the Mariachi Band's performance for kids. We took the kids on the stage and clapped and danced as they serenaded us. What a fun day! Last night, Linda offered to babysit so Adam and I could go on a long overdue date and we headed out to a new Mexican restaurant called Las Delicias. It was so good and fresh and we can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu! Great suggestion Linda! They went twice last week because they liked it so much!
It seems like time is flying by these days and every time I turn around, Gray's vocabulary has expanded tenfold and Hayes has hit even more milestones. Adam stays busy with work and travel during the week, and I with my big event and keeping the kids in check. We are so busy, in fact, that sometimes I think we forget to take a step back and cherish the memories we are making. This blog helps me do that and for that, I am so thankful. Thank you Sarah Ella for inspiring me to do it and reminding me to keep up with it. I know we'll be glad we did!
Until next time,
The Pattersons
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