Little Lady in the Window

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window and made her way over to make friends with the other baby in the room.

I think she could have stared all night.

Enjoy! 

Go Green, Little B!

This was a momentous weekend for our little man ... he got to attend his first Michigan State football game!  And it was homecoming, no less!  How cool is that?

Because it was a noon game, we had to get an early start to the day, which meant waking him up.  Surprisingly, he was in a really good mood!  Awesome!

He and Daddy got breakfast in their Spartan gear.

And after dropping Mollie off with my mom, we set forth in Oma's New Car to East Lansing!  Grandpa E drove, and Aunt Christine kept Little B company in the middle row.

My dear sister was looking particularly lovely, so I took a picture of her.

As you can see, she decided to return the favor after I dozed off.  Thanks, Christine!

The campus was abuzz with nervous excitement, and as we walked from the Y lot to the stadium we drank in all the sights and sounds of game day.

Baylor's first walk along "the banks of the Red Cedar"!

We finally reached the stadium and stopped for a photo op.

Dad and Christine went to get food, while Bryson, Baylor, and I went up to the seats to get situated.  Baylor was entirely overwhelmed by the noise and all the people, but he took it in stride.

He ate his pizza like a big boy for the very first time!  And hey, it only took him an HOUR to get through that one piece!  Ah woo hoo!

The weather was fantastic: 64 degrees and sunny.  It truly was a beautiful day for football!

Since he's only two, Baylor is a little short on attention span, so I brought a bunch of activities with us to keep him occupied.  Coloring is the best!

When it got noisy, he'd hold Bryson's hand.

And I taught him as much as I could about football.  I believe I was telling him about "getting sacked" here.

The halftime show was great, but I was really hoping they'd play "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini" as that's Baylor's current favorite song.  Sadly, they only played songs with "boogie" in the title. 

Baylor was pretty interested in it, though.

After halftime, Baylor and I headed down to the ladies' room to change his diaper.  I decided to give him a little time to run around in the concourse for a while, and he really perked up when he was able to move around a bit.  We ended up doing an entire lap of the stadium.  There must have been a Melting Moments stand every ten feet or so, and soon Baylor had made up his mind that he wanted one of the delicious ice cream sandwiches he saw on the carts.  So, once we made it back to our section, we shared one!

While we were walking around, Baylor got to see the section of the marching band that travels around the stadium perform for some concession stand workers.  It was pretty cool but a little loud for the little guy.  One of the girls selling Melting Moments gave him some party beads to wear, which he almost gave away to a saxophonist he fell in love with during our walk.  Seriously, he was flirting hardcore with this girl ... she did have a really nice smile, I must say.

Anyhow, I eventually got him back up to the seats and we broke out the stickers I had stashed away.  Those were great fun until they ran out.  Then he moved on to inspecting Bryson's seat cushion.  And trying to stick a sticker to it, of course.

And since he only had a slice of pizza for lunch, I figured he might want a little snack.  Fish crackers it is!

It was so nice getting to share this first big MSU adventure with him!

The game was great, though I didn't catch most of it.  And honestly, I didn't care; I was with my boy, helping him enjoy his first football game as much as he could.

In the end, we won, keeping our winning streak alive!  Go green!

As the marching band played the fight song when the game ended, Baylor had a look on his face like he finally understood what the whole fight song thing was about and that other people beyond our family knew it.  It was just a little smile of recognition, but it was there.

It was a really fun day!

The walk back to the car was beautiful and warm.  And Baylor seemed to enjoy watching all the people while atop Bryson's shoulders.

His favorite part of the day, though, may have been getting to push the crosswalk button by the bridge at Farm Lane.  It beeped and talked ... what more could a kid ask for?!

Once we got him into the car, he got super drowsy ...

... and within minutes he was asleep.

I tried moving his head out of this position, but it kept sliding back down.

Just before we got home he woke up and played with his "new" beads.

Mollie had a lovely time with Oma, though she was under-the-weather for most of the day.  But she was happy to see us all when we got home ... someday it'll be her turn to go to a football game!

All in all, it was a beautiful day for football!

Article: 8 Ways to Raise a Mindful Child

I saw this article on Huffington Post tonight, and it was so beautiful I just had to share it with you. 

Regardless of whether or not you have children, I think it is a great read and could easily be applied to all the important people in your life.  (Aside from reading picture books and brushing teeth - those are pretty kid-specific.)

Enjoy the article!  And have a beautiful day!

Sponsored By The Letter "S"

So yeah, today is sponsored by the letter "s".  We've had a multitude of "s" things in our life today and I thought I'd share them with you.

First, a silly Stetson.  (Mollie is going to be a cowgirl for Halloween, so I thought I should make sure the hat fit.)

Next, smiles with saliva!

Oh, and the stickers!  (Check out the couch!)

And, since he's sick, snot bubbles and MORE saliva!  (I had a picture worse than this, but I didn't post it ... you're welcome.)

Then, during lunch ... sleep.

Sweet, sound sleep.

That's some super saliva!

Baylor ate squash and a sandwich for lunch, and I've used enough sanitizer to dry out my hands for life!

So yes, today is indeed sponsored by the letter "s". 

Have a super day!

An Open Letter to Baylor and Amalia

In each of my kids' baby books there is a place for the mom to include a letter to her child (there's one for the dad, too - no worries).  Ever since Baylor was born, I have been trying to figure out what to write to him, then to Amalia ... and I finally figured it out.  I thought I'd share it with you.  Hope you like it!

Dear kiddos,

There are many things I want for you in this life, some of which I can't even articulate.  Obviously I want for you health, happiness, and love, but I feel like those are the broad strokes of life.  There are other things I want for you, more specific things that I want you to reach for, be, and embrace. 

These are those things.

Kindness above all; to be kind is everything.

Be stewards of the earth; we only have one and we should all do our part to keep it healthy.

Speaking of health, be good to your body.  It can take you a long way if you take care of yourself.

Live life with joy in your heart.  Find happiness in the everyday.

Patience is indeed a virtue ... apply it liberally.

Don't let people walk all over you, and don't walk all over other people.

Live simply.  Try to surround yourself with only the people and things you love.

Cultivate a love of reading and writing ... there are no greater outlets or escapes.

Do good, be good - not because you'll get something out of it (e.g., money, fame, a spot in heaven) but because it is just plain the right thing to do.

These are the things I want for you, my little miracles.

Love always,

Mama

Better Than This

What I'm about to say is not a cast out into the waters, fishing for compliments or encouragement.  It is an admission, solely for the purpose of being human and possibly helping other mothers out there feel less alone, should they find themselves feeling similarly.

My children deserve better than I've been giving them.  I have been feeling increasingly, as of late, that I'm not doing right by them in so many situations.  I could use the excuse that I'm chronically tired or that I'm deprived of this or that, but none of it justifies being anything less than stellar for these two amazing children.

Case in point, we met up with some friends the other night for dinner and to celebrate a birthday.  I, of course, forgot the birthday gift in my haste to leave the house (late, no less) and we had to trek back to the house after dinner.  Which ordinarily would have been fine except my friend's kiddo was at the beginning of a cold.  After assurances that she was probably fine, and against my better judgment - the lure of a night with friends was insatiable - they came in the house and stayed ... until 10:20 p.m.!  Yes, we all have children.  Yes, they are all 4 years-old or younger.  And they all stayed up with us.  Long story short, the kids went to bed late, and Baylor and Bryson have ended up with colds.

I knew the little one was sick, yet I let her in the house and allowed her to touch all my kids' stuff.  I knew what time my kids' bedtime was, yet I allowed our friends to stay far beyond it.  Why?  I don't know.

I do know that this, and other such instances, have me going to bed every night feeling guilty for not doing better, not being better.  When I was a kid, believe it or not, I was a bit of an insomniac; I'd stay awake for hours thinking and concocting stories in my head.  The insomnia has returned, albeit to a much lesser degree - no doubt in part because I am exhausted and burning the candle at both ends, because of these guilty feelings. 

The house is falling apart slowly but surely, and somehow it feels like I'm stuck in quicksand, unable to halt the incoming tide of clutter.  Without a doubt, it feels like I am behind on everything, and eventually the kids will notice.  I don't want their lives to be affected by my ADD-style household, but it feels like they will be. 

I have to do better.  I will do better.  I just have to figure out how.

My Girl at Six Months

Amalia is six months old ... can you believe it?!  Already she is eating three meals of baby cereal everyday, and just this past weekend she tried pureed peas for the first time.  She's not a fan, but I think they're just not as sweet as the food she's used to.  Hopefully she'll learn to love them.

She is becoming quite the little character these days.  She loves Baylor and grins from ear to ear whenever he walks by or interacts with her in any way.  On this day, he actually chose her entire outfit ... can you tell?

She smiles so much!  My favorite smiles, other than the ones directed at me, are the ones that come after every single sneeze she has.  She could be sobbing, but if she sneezes there WILL be a smile afterwards.  It's just her.
 

Miss Mollie is extraordinarily curious; she will tear herself away from nursing if there is an interesting noise nearby or something else to look at, and she has to be up in the mix of things with everyone else.

She's turning into quite the amazing little girl, and I can't wait to see how her personality develops!

Southwestern Turkey Chili

Yeah, I really don't feel like posting another recipe, but Blogger isn't allowing me even the chance to upload pictures right now, so there ya go.

I got this recipe out of the Sunday paper a couple weekends ago, courtesy of a Del Monte ad, and it was delicious!

Southwestern Turkey Chili
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients
3/4 lb. ground turkey*
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5 oz.) Del Monte Diced Tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz. each) Del Monte Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 can (15.25 oz.) Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) low-salt kidney beans, drained

Directions
1. Cook turkey with onion in a large skillet, 5 minutes.
2. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, corn, and beans.  Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese, lime wedges, and top with light sour cream and cilantro, if desired.**

*The ground turkey I found only came in 1.5 lbs. packages so that's what I used, and it didn't seem too meaty to me.

** I just put Cheddar cheese on top and it was delicious. 

Also, I used as many "no salt" options as I could find at the store.  It really didn't need all that extra sodium, and the flavor was still fantastic.

Tasty Tuesday: Nic's Enchiladas

Yeah, I made my own enchilada recipe ... pretty nifty, huh?  I almost felt competent in the kitchen today, and it was lovely.

Anyhow, my husband loves all Mexican food, but enchiladas are some of his favorites.  I decided to try my hand at them, not really having any recipe to go off of.  I did a lot of searching online and couldn't really find one that incorporated all the ingredients I already had, so I just made it up as I went along. 

The result?  I thought they were delicious, and my husband's only request is that I try using corn tortillas next time; his mom uses them in her recipe and he likes the taste of them better than the whole wheat ones I used.

So, without further ado ...

Nic's Enchiladas

Makes: 8 enchiladas
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, diced
15.5 oz. can mild chili beans (undrained)
1 cup Mexican (taco) cheese (divided)
8 whole wheat 8" tortillas
2 cans (10 oz. each?) enchilada sauce of your desired heat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the onions.  Drain then return to the skillet.  Add chili beans and a scant 1/4 cup cheese.  Cook covered on low for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Assemble the enchiladas by placing a line of meat in the middle of each of the 8 tortillas, folding the right side in, then the left, and securing the rolled tortilla with a toothpick.  (I had a good picture of this, but blogger hates me and wouldn't let me upload my pictures.)

Place the enchiladas into a greased cooking dish; I wish I could tell you what size to use, but I totally goofed and ended up having to use three 9"x 9" dishes.  It worked out okay, though, as my husband likes his food pretty spicy and I was planning on using two different heats of enchilada sauce anyway. 

Spoon the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas; you probably shouldn't use all of both cans, unless you want it to be really moist.  This is probably a personal preference issue.  Do what you like.

Then, take the remaining cheese and sprinkle it over the center of  the enchiladas.  (Again, I had a really good picture of this, but blogger is being stupid.)

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Enjoy!

I hope you like these as much as I did.  They really were quite tasty and had a lot of flavor!  Ole!

ArtPrize Visit

Sorry about the formatting again ... still getting used to this new blogger setup.

Anyhow, we went downtown for ArtPrize this weekend and saw some pretty cool stuff!  For those of you unfamiliar with ArtPrize, it is a public art contest, judged by anyone who wants to participate, both those with trained eyes and more novices.  For a better description than I am providing here, check out the website!

We started off on the GVSU campus and saw some interesting exhibits there.  And I captured what would be my only art pictures of the outing - a bummer, to be sure, but that's what happens when you have small children ... sometimes picture-taking just falls by the wayside.  As you can see, it was a gorgeous day, perfect for strolling around outdoors.

I thought this one was fascinating ... it is called "Death of Venus" and is a take on one of my favorite paintings.

This one was called "The Act of Kissing" - it was a little weird but also really fascinating.

Mollie was asleep at first ...

... and then she wasn't!  But she seemed to enjoy her time walking around outside on the beautiful sunny day.

There was this cool aluminum sculpture that the public was allowed to touch, so after some people finished getting their picture taken by it, I suggested to Baylor that he go over and touch it.  Without hesitation, he dashed towards it, but I soon realized he had no interest in the gorgeous piece of artwork ... he just wanted to push the handicap button to make the door open behind the sculpture!  Ah, the mind of a two-year-old!

That door turned out to be the back entrance to the Grand Rapids Art Museum, so we decided to head in there, enjoy a little elevator ride, and see the ArtPrize exhibits there.  My favorites at the GRAM were Form #8, Double Elephant, and Vision, which actually made it into the top ten!

I would have liked to have seen more, but with the kids naps quickly approaching it was time for us to grab some lunch at Subway and scoot on home.  I am so glad I got to see ArtPrize this time around, though, and hope to make another trip downtown to see more of the top ten.  If you are in or near the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, I highly recommend attending this unique event, either this year or in years to come!