Miller's Favorite Pasttime

Miller loves fetch. He stands vigilantly for hours over a ball. He can catch a frisbee in mid air. His only problem is that his brakes aren't always the best. He tends to roll or slide when he gets to his destination. Which in turn causes him to get huge grass stains all over his white coat.

Anyway, Dustin is also really in to golf. He's been chipping in the back yard which serves two purposes. First, he is able to practice his shot and second, Miller gets a great workout. This morning, Reese and I decided to head outside to watch the ordeal and I couldn't help but capture the moment.

The Jumperoo

Our babysitter has the best Jumperoo ever! Reese absolutely loves it. So, our babysitter let us borrow it for the summer because Reese is the only one who uses it anyway. I put her in it tonight and this was just too cute not to catch on video! And be sure to watch her feet, she looks like a ballerina. Trust me, a couple of pom pons and some bloomers and I've got a cheerleader in the making! Also, sorry that it's sideways, I have no idea how to fix that!

Last Days of School

As the last day of school approaches this year, I am feeling a little bittersweet.

I am bitter to leave the best class I've ever had. They have been with me through some big events in my life. First, my wedding. They were so excited for me and they just thought it was pretty great. Then, it was pregnancy. I can remember throwing up in the trash can and them shouting over (as they continued to work) "oh it's just Mrs. Neal throwing up again!". They were there when I came back to work and cried all day. And they have been so much fun to watch grow. We have so much mutual respect for each other and I am appreciative of the hard work they put in for me each day. I hate to see them leave to become 4th graders. I hope they remember to say please and thank you. I hope they remember to be a good friend. And I hope they remember to come visit most of all.

But I am also feeling sweet this year to get home for summer. It's been a long, hard year. We've had our noses to the grindstone doing good work for students. But now I get to stay home with my beautiful baby girl all summer long. We have library story times planned, an American Girl Doll Tea Party to go to, and possibly a membership to the Gladstone pool to buy. We are going to cuddle and laugh and learn to sleep until 7:00!! It's sweet because I know the teaching won't stop when I leave here tomorrow. I'll be teaching a new curriculum but it's for the best student I know.

So, here closes another chapter of my career. Best of luck to my best class ever! It will be a long time before another replaces you!

Fish Tacos

I am NOT a big fish lover. Sure, I appreciate good salmon or seafood (crab legs, shrimp) but when it comes to white fish I just don't really care that much about it. But I also know that it is good for me so I try to eat it on a kind of regular basis. That being said, I am always looking for ways to disguise the fishy taste. Here is one way that is not only edible but actually enjoyable for me.

First I make a baja sauce. Here are all the ingredients I use. I can't tell you measurements but I'll at least show you what's in it.

I mix all those together and it makes a really yummy sauce with a little bit of spice to it.

Then I dredge chunks of fish in seasoned flour and fry in a little bit of oil for about 3 minutes on each side. Until they are golden brown.

I chop up some veggies for toppings, I love cabbage, onions, cilantro (big surprise), and shredded carrots. And put out the baja sauce (Dustin doesn't like it so I leave it as a side).

Warm up some tortillas and voila! Yummy Houlihans-style fish tacos!

You can always add pico de gallo, salsa, or even guacamole for added flavor but those things go over like a lead balloon in my house!

The Quiet Book

A friend recommended a book to me the other day called The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood. Reese really loves to read so I was happy for a new book to add to the rotation. She brought it down to my room and said something along the lines of: I think Reese will love this, it talks about all the different kinds of quiet.



All the different kinds of quiet? I thought, hmmmm, that sounds cool. And that was as far as it went.



But tonight we were finally able to read it. And can I say, WOW, that book was great.



The last one to get picked up from school quiet. I could feel that little bear's pain.



First one out of bed quiet. I've tiptoed through the house many a morning.



But my very most personal favorite: Thinking of a good reason you were drawing on the walls quiet. HILARIOUS!



I enjoyed each and every example of quiet. Each was completely true and I feel how the quiet felt. It was just exactly perfect!

Popcorn

Here is our well-trained, no table food eating, beautiful white lab whenever there is popcorn within a 3 mile radius. He loves it. I don't know how he could even taste it, he is only allowed 1 piece at a time.
But he goes absolutely nuts over it.... maybe I'll use it to teach him how to open the refrigerator door and get me a beer!

In this one you can even see the drool if you look close enough.

Oh Miller, how you entertain us.

Sentimental Saturday

I was looking though some pictures that Dustin uploaded from his phone the other day and found one of my favorites that he took. This is from when Reese was just a couple of hours old and I was first getting to know her after my c-section. Because she was premature I got to hold her for about 20 seconds right when she was born before they whisked her off to the NICU. Then they fixed me up and I had to spend some time in recovery before I could go up to her room.

Once I was considered "recovered" I was wheeled up to her room. When I got there I wasn't all that prepared for what I found. They stopped us at the door and told us she had an IV in her head and that she would be hooked up to some wires. "Okay, I get it" I thought, "just get me in there NOW!" But when I walked in, I was pretty surprised by all of it. For one thing, they have to put the IVs in the head. And she was so stinking tiny.

But it was a really great moment. The fear of the c-section was over, she could breathe, and she was beautiful. I finally took my stress down to an 8 (from the previous 10) and enjoyed my new little cutie. I didn't care about the wires or the isolette. I was just glad to meet her.

Photo of the Week

Reese loves bath time. She loves splashing and playing. But mostly she loves hanging out with Daddy for a little one on one time.

I love bath time too. I get 10 minutes of quiet time (okay more like uninterrupted -clean up/get ready for bed- time). But I also love hearing her cute squeals of joy and her eye lashes that are stuck together from the water. And I love hearing her daddy talk to her as he squirts her in the face with her favorite lobster squirty toy.

I love it so much that I wanted to share a minute of one of the best moments of my week.

Things to do with Mom

I just read the title of this cute little book in the preschool Scholastic Book Club flyer. It is called Things to do with Mom. It has my attention.

I am in constant search of fun things to do with Reese. Lately we have been trying to make things. For example I made her a drum filled with beans so when she rolls it the beans shake all around but she can still pound on it. We made a texture necklace with lots of fabrics for her to feel on. She's not really too big on painting because what goes on her hand goes in her mouth and paint is just a bad idea but we've done a couple of painting projects lately too.

But I am always wanting to know of something else fun to do. I think this book sounds like it is right up my alley. I want little ideas and hints about fun stuff to do. I know right now we can't do a lot, but we will someday be able to make cookies or have tea parties and I don't want to come up short on fun things to do. So, this post is two-fold. One, I wanted to share the fun book I saw (and by the way they have one for dad too). And two, I wanted to beg, borrow, and steal any fun ideas you might have to pass along. Crafts? Projects? Activities? Extra awesome books? Sure! Send them my way!!! I'll do them and then tell you how it went!

Feliz Cumpleaños Seis Meses

In honor of Cinco de Mayo and Reese's half birthday, I thought I would translate the title into Spanish. So Feliz Cumpleaños seis meses (Happy 6 month Birthday) to my beautiful little baby girl.

We celebrated by singing our favorite "I Love You" song in Spanish; Te Amo Te Adoro Te Queiro, Whack Whack. That's complements of the big haired Mexican Lady, Mrs. Cunningham. She was the best Spanish teacher from here to Mexico! And we went and ate 1 chip with salsa at a friends house before she threw a fit and we had to leave. And we gave the dogs a few kisses.

So, here's to 6 months of our pretty little girl who waited impatiently to wrap us around her finger, Mommy and Daddy love you, Pookie!

Snoopy

I love Snoopy. There's something about a lovable beagle that speaks to my heart. We used to have these Snoopy 'Cyclopedias when I was a kid. I thought they were pretty cool. I can remember back to even when I was really little, looking through the pictures and reading all the interesting stuff.

Anyway, the other day someone made a comment on facebook about a snoopy quote from a book and a light bulb went off in my head. I remembered my beloved Snoopy 'Cyclopedias and immediately I had to have them. I typed ebay into my browser as fast as I could and hoped and prayed that someone was selling it. And wouldn't you know, now I am the proud owner of my own set of Snoopy 'Cyclopedias. I am most excited about this!!

So, here are a few pictures of my new set.