And he's back!

Well folks, J is home already. Yes, the time flew. No, I didn't get anything done. Ugh. I mean I didn't even blog, what does that tell you?!

I wanted to share another shot of J and Bugga taken last Sunday. We have SO MANY more, we had a veritable photo shoot that day.

Here's a random picture I took of Bug this week.

The camera kind of got some time off while J was gone because I just didn't seem to reach for it. I guess I was missing one of my favorite subjects. Ahhhh... ;)

So can anyone guess where we were in the next two pictures? Okay, it might be a tough one. Lindsey, based on recent conversations, you might get this. Here's a clue: I think J is developing an unhealthy obsession with lenses. Unluckily enough--or luckily, depending on your perspective--his wallet can't quite meet the demands of his current lens wishlist.

Okay, I need to finish up and spend time with my boys. Together again, I love just watching them play and laugh. A smiling Grady bug seems like a good send-off for tonight.

Home Sweet Home

I'm blogging some pics of the house tonight. Above you see our dining table. I'm immortalizing it in all its paperless glory because it is so rarely clean and clutter-free as it is in this picture. ;)

The kitchen. It's almost too small to see, but in the far back, to the right, is the laundry area. I like having the laundry on the main living level, it's nice. Though I considered going to the basement for laundry purposes my only form of exercise in the past, so in that sense, it's not so great. Anyway...my point was that on the wall in there, you can see my college degree. It's my way of poking fun at myself a little. Jeremy didn't really get it (and neither will a lot of people probably) but I was certainly yukkin' it up the day I hung it there.

Here you can see the screens that came out of J's Grandparents' store in Superior, or rather the old apartments that were above the store. Bug realized today that they might be interesting to touch (and/or bang, poke, rip, and other such things a little boy enjoys doing) and the paper is quite delicate, so there was a lot of "No"s coming out of my mouth and a lot of redirecting him to his toys scattered everywhere.

The knotty room (referring to the knotty pine that adorns its walls). This is just to the left of the area in the picture above.

And those toys strewn around, as mentioned above. =) Monkey is cleaning herself and looking oh so lady-like on top of the gas stove. I love our animals.

One last picture. This is the view from the knotty room, complete with little miss Paisley. All those toys are in that big basket on the right. ;) Except the tonka, it gets "parked" on the sideboard.

The lighting is so different in all these pictures, I just noticed! Please excuse the poor quality.

This week should be interesting. J hopped in the car and headed for Pairie Island, MN after we put Bugga to bed tonight. He will be in a training class all week at the nuclear plant there. He had to do this back in November too, when we were living in the cabin, so at least I can say this time I am glad to be in our house with our things.

I think the hardest part is not that the responsibility of the house and Bug fall solely on my shoulders this week, but that I don't have him here to share the good stuff with. You know, the "oh you wouldn't believe what Grady did today..." and the "did you see that?! I can't believe he just did that!" and the ever popular "did you hear that {fart, giggle, scream, belch, or whatever strange noise that just came out of our son}?!" Sure I'll tell him on the phone daily, but it's not the same.

I have quite a to-do list for myself this week. Who wants to make bets about how much I will actually accomplish? (Don't all jump on zero/nothing/nada at once now!) One thing on the list is Grady's baby book. Can you believe he is almost a year old and I haven't entered one solitary word in that book yet?! Haven't even written his name in it. That's right, the Parent of the Year Award just keeps slipping farther and farther away. *sigh*

I did however put some hair we saved from his first haircut in the appropriate envelope in the book tonight, so that is a start. Wouldn't that be cruddy if he opens his baby book years down the line and all that's in there is some old hair? Yes, this week I will work to prevent such a thing from happening to my dear boy. ;)

I LOVE this picture of J and Bugga. Here's to my boys tonight...one's sleeping like a little angel in his bed and one's driving to a hotel on the other side of the cities. The first of course makes me very happy, the second not so much. If this past year is any indication though, this week will fly be in the blink of an eye, so I know I shouldn't fret about it. What I should fret about is getting my hiney in bed, since I have a full day of Bugga-wrangling ahead of me! ;)

Another week gone

Oh my. Holy lack of blog posts batman! What is going on with me?!

-B- to the -L- to the -O- to the -G-. Get on board and blog with me.

Hmmm, just trying a little cheer to see if I can get my blog spirits up. Not sure if it's working though. ;)

Today, I have an ode to the jumper-saucer, as we have come to affectionately call it. It's official, consumer brand power name is Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper. Whew.

To us, you were just jumper-saucer. And sadly, it seems your little boy has quite nearly outgrown you. A few pictures from just yesterday illustrate your good times. Nowadays those good times are brief, as he's just too mobile, too accomplished in his physical skills, to sit and enjoy all you have to offer. Here's to you jumper-saucer!

Really, having to say good-bye to our jumper saucer is just one more example of the revolving door of items, skills, and quirky little habits that make up the first year of an infant's life. Items once used daily now sit collecting dust waiting for me to get off my duff and find them a happy new home. Boxes of clothes. A play gym. A baby papasan chair.

The baby that came home helpless in so many ways now has the willfullness and the ability to open kitchen cabinets and shut doors and follow the pets around the house. Those cute first smiles that you question whether they are gas or true happiness have evolved into giggles and bursts of excited laughter that are so contagious you can't help but laugh along with him. Trite but true, the first year is so amazing.


Thankfully, there are many things he hasn't outgrown:

*His bed, for the time being anyway

*His diapers (ahh, longevity, that is where cloth will pay off I think!)

*That beautiful smile of his has only gotten better

*His Momma and Papa =)


Yes, he still needs us and wants to be with us. However frustrating his needs sometimes are, I know I am so blessed to have this little one who needs me.

He certainly hasn't seemed to outgrow his love of the pets either. He just adores Paisley and although she gets annoyed with him, I think she digs him quite a bit too. Hopefully it'll get better as he gets more and more skilled at throwing the ball for her to chase, and possibly finds other ways to be with his pooch other than climbing all over her. ;)



One last glimpse, happy trails...eh, happy bouncing old friend. You enabled me to wash many a dish in your day. Not to mention the laundry that got done because of your helpful occupation of one wee little mind. Job well done. ;)


Wouldn't you know, my dear hubby J already has big plans for the spot where our lovely jumper-saucer now sits: potted indoor fruit trees. Big plans. That's my husband ladies and gentlemen. We'll see if this plan ever comes to fruition (hahahaha, couldn't resist that one).

Umm....Blah?

This one's for Uncle Brandon. ;) I've been told he doesn't like being called Uncle Brandon, but come on man...nothing on but his batman hat from Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Brandon (which I know Uncle Brandon picked out). You wouldn't want him calling you Uncle???


Anyone sick of pictures of Bugga sleeping yet? I just couldn't help myself, with his little foot dangling out, looking so relaxed and like such a big boy.




I'm feeling really lame. My post count seems to be decreasing with each month. This is only month three. I've ran out of things to say. Go figure!

No, wait. Grady is 11 months old today. He is officially walking, and not just in the experimental phase anymore. I was looking at the previous video of him walking and you can just tell by his face that walking is so new and so experimental that he can't focus on anything but what he is doing, putting one foot in front of the other, til he's back down on the ground. Oh sweet ground, that safe place that he has ruled since around 7 months when he took off in his zoom crawl and never looked back.

Now, though, he's mostly mastered it. He can stand up while holding two toys, he can stand up and walk after you purposefully. Or stand up and go looking for you around the corner. I fear there is just no stopping him now.

With his walking though, he has helped bring back the balance of bipeds to quadrupeds in this house. =) It's a very exciting thing indeed.

Well, the blogspot gods are not my friends today. I've tried unsuccessfully about four times to load a video of Bug busting a gut in the bath one night. Maybe another day. *sigh*

OH--a couple shout outs for this wonderful Friday! Be safe and have fun on your trip Danny, Linda, Danelle, Kelvin, Jenna, Jake, and Jedd! And HAPPY (belated, oops) BIRTHDAY to Jenna and Jake while I'm at it. And finally, happy engagement to Chris and Nichole, we're so very very happy for you both!

Okay, I'm off to dream of Spring while I watch the snow melt into one big muddy mess. When did temps in the 40s start to feel so good?! Oh, that's right...when we moved to MN. ;)

A parental exchange

The scene: hanging out on the living room floor, Bugga's "toys" spread all over. I say "toys" in quotations because a great number of things in his toy basket were not toys, at least not in their first life. They are cereal canisters, ribbons, measuring cups, miscellaneous boxes, and a host of wooden kitchen utensils that he has taken from the kitchen drawers and I have yet to reclaim.

Bugga lifts a 3-pronged wooden utensil and thrusts it at Jeremy's face.

Me {very earnestly}: Oh J, be careful! That has splinters!

Jeremy {incredulous}: Then why does he have it?!

Much guffawing follows.

Maybe you had to be there.

the domestic ramblings of a sleepy lady

Hmmm...haven't blogged in a while. You may be wondering where I have been. Well, I can certainly tell you where I haven't been: the land of Nod.

Ugh. Insomnia. Getting. Worse.

But enough about that, life is plenty interesting even in a haze of fatigue. (Man, I'm pathetic; really I know I still get more sleep than a lot of people. I guess it is just frustrating laying awake when Mr. Head-hits-the-pillow-and-he's-out is fast asleep and sometimes snoring.)

Bug is walking more and more. He's currently at about 50/50, as we say around here: walking 50% of the time, crawling 50% of the time. Last night, he came to a turning point in mastering the skill of standing up independently. He must have done it 20+ times last night, when before it would only happen sporadically, maybe 5 times in a week. He has kept it up today, choosing to stand up and walk to me, instead of crawling. It's crazy fun to watch!

Gosh...I think just as I'm sitting here typing we're moving into 75/25 territory (walking 75% of the time). Oh my, interesting indeed.

I wanted to share a couple recipes today. As far as domestics go, cooking is probably my least honed skill. Baking I can do. Meals, on the other hand, are not my forte. I'm trying a lot more though. Have even had meals on the table a few nights this week when J got home...feeling so very Donna Reed.

Okay, so this picture is not the most appetizing, but I promise, these little cakes are very yummy.

I hope I'm not inadvertantly breaking any laws by sharing the recipe. I just got it out of Better Homes and Gardens, so I doubt it. Actually, it was on a page with an ad for McCormick Saigon Cinnamon. I know, Saigon Cinnamon. Hmmm...McCormick's stretching it a little with that one. Oh well, the little cakes are really yummy and really easy. Yes, Tara, you could totally make these (now where are your ramekins? HAHAHA).

Molten Spiced Chocolate {Cabernet} Cakes

Ingredients:

4 oz. semisweet baking chocolate

1/2 cup butter (1 stick for the baking impaired, just teasing)

1 tbsp cabernet sauvignon or other wine (in my opinion, this is optional, I've made it without and with and liked it both ways)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

6 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp (McCormick Gourmet Collection Saigon) Cinnamon

1/4 tsp (McCormick Courmet Collection) Ground Ginger

Directions:

Butter 4 (6 oz) custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whish until choclate in completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla, and sugar until blended. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon evenly into prepared dishes.

Bake in preheated 425 degree oven 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Loosen edges with knife. Invert onto serving plates. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

If you don't dig using the microwave (another thing we're trying to use less), I'm sure you can melt the butter and chocolate on the stove and make the recipe in the saucepan. That's one of the things I really love about this recipe, it is one bowl (or one pan). It's so easy to whip up. Plus, it is cake with a molten center so you've got a built-in sauce in lieu of frosting. Yummy yum...now get to baking people! ;)

This next recipe is for anyone interested in a fun way to work some beans into your diet. Beans. Rarely a food item people get excited about, but very good for you. Nice meat substitute too. This one is just a link. Black Bean Soft Tacos If you can't get your hands on a good avocado, don't worry. I know we're having trouble finding good ones right now. It's fine without it, of course. A big plus of this recipe, other than that it is yummy, is that with the left over bean mix, you can of course make tacos again, but you can also add them to scrambled eggs and make really delicious breakfast burritos. Or a yummy omlet.

Which brings me to the next picture. The cutest little yolk-only omlet:

I'll admit, the picture is totally staged, because we don't give Bug dishes on his tray. I just put it on there to get the shot. HAHA. Isn't that the cutest little fork though?! =) There's yummy bean mix (minus the tomatoes) tucked inside.

It's Friday night. I hope you all are gearing up for a fun weekend! Here's a few final pics. Bugga being silly with the ice cream scoop. Who needs toys?!

Paisley all cozied up on the lounger. What a brat! Of course, we allow the bratiness so I guess we can't really complain. And she's darn cute too, which makes it pretty hard to say no sometimes. Wish us luck with Bug right?!

I just realized today's post title might have made a good blog name. Hehe. Might be more fitting at least. ;)

Bugga speaks

Tonight, I'm going to let Bugga speak for himself:

Did you catch that? Anyone have a translation?

Yeah, me neither. But it sure is fun listening to him carry on in his silly baby-babble ways.

Here's the man himself taking a few well-placed--albeit wobbly--steps:

And here's another one, just for good measure. With a bubbly-smile to boot.

He has actually gotten a lot more steady on his feet since these videos were taken. He can turn and change directions now too. And stand up on his own without using me, or J, or Pai or the chair or...okay, you get it. He still has numerous moments where he is crazy-wobbly and way too excited to stay upright for very long, but he's getting there.

March is here, and gosh darn it, I'm tired. I fell...AGAIN....this weekend. It was on the steps heading downstairs. Ridiculous! Thankfully, this time I didn't have the Bug in my arms, otherwise it would have been even more disastrous. Where oh where has my coordination gone??!! Scary!

I would love to post some fun video of Grady in the bath tonight. I fear I've spent enough time loading these three though, so I'll save that for another day. Something to look forward too I suppose. ;)

Oh! I got to watch The Business of Being Born. !!!!! Okay, so I realize there is probably a limited audience for this one, but if you're expecting, or planning to someday expect (Lindsey...I swear it's not as gross as you think....come on....some day, okay?), or just happen to think childbirth and maternity care are interesting, it is worth a gander. And if you're a netflix user, they have it on instant-watch too (the video quality doesn't seem as good, but still very watchable through this method). I really enjoyed it and it did give me a new perspective on childbirth. The trailer doesn't quite do it justice in my opinion, so if the trailer scares you or seems too one-sided, I still suggest giving it a shot.

So there's my Sunday night viewing suggestion for you all. =) Here's hoping this Sunday night isn't like last Sunday night. We'll see what we see. (Say the last sentence fast...like David Spade...anyone?)

See how badly I need the sleep?! Whew.