The "Wannabe Chef" Mom

Ok, so I'm not much of a cook, but every once in awhile I stumble upon a great recipe that I somehow manage to pull off. When my husband asks me to make it again, I know it's a winner. And since it's almost T-Day,




this is the perfect recipe to use some of that leftover turkey. When you don't have roasted turkey laying around, you can substitute canned turkey or canned white meat chicken...just as tasty. These are also great for luncheons or showers. Super easy and they look like you had something professionally catered.

Here's the recipe:
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 Tablespoons butter
2 cups cubed turkey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoot pepper
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped chives/onion (I usually do a bit more...I like the crunch)
8 oz. can of crescent rolls
3/4 cup croutons (crushed)

-Preheat oven to 350.
-In medium bowl, blend cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the butter (SAVE 1 tablespoon for later...I forget this often) until smooth.
-Add the next five ingredients and mix well.
-Separate crescent dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal.
-Spoon 1/2 cup of mixture into center of each rectangle
-Pull 4 corners of dough to top center and twist slightly to seal
-Brush tops with remaining butter
-Sprinkle some crushed croutons on top
-Bake on cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes. My oven is super fast, so it only takes like 18.

And viola! Here's what they look like:


Seriously so yummy! They go great with a simple green salad. Enjoy!

The "Straight Man" Mom

You know how in great comedy, there's always a "straight man." The one who really isn't funny, but makes the funny one funny?

For example, Laurel and Hardy:



Or the Jon Cryer character to Charlie Sheen's character on Two and Half Men:


Well, I'm that mom. I've never been particularly funny. Oh sure, I get a few laughs when I'm being self-depricating, but that doesn't really count. My own husband claims that when I try to be funny, crickets chirp. Whatever!

My son, Collin, on the other hand is hysterical. Well, correction, he is hysterical to himself. He seriously has one of the nuttiest senses of humor I've ever seen. I know part of it is probably being 2 and a half, but since he comes from two "unfunny" parents, I find it bewildering that he is a crack up. For example, he thought moving this cone at the pumpkin patch was hysterically funny:



Some things lately that I thought I should catalog that he thinks are funny:

1)Asking me what things are that he already knows the answer to. For example Collin says, "What's that?" pointing to a pumpkin. I turn it around (as all good parents should do) and say, "What do you think it is?" Collin replies, "It's a pumpkin!" followed by fits of giggles. Personally, I don't get the joke, but he does this all day long inserting different objects.

2) Telling me the wrong answer on purpose. I ask Collin, "What shape is that doorknob?" Collin says, "It's a trapezoid!" followed by fits of giggles. (I know you're thinking that's kind of an advanced shape for a kid his age, but he just learned it at preschool from a puzzle he was playing with!) I say, "No, it's a circle!" Again more giggles. I suppose this is a variation on the humor of the previous game, but again I don't really get it.

3) Laughing hysterically when I tell him to stop running. Now I realize this one could get out of hand when I really do want or need him to stop and trust me I'm trying to buckle down on the discipline of it, but it does kind of crack me up when he thinks I'm chasing him and he's shrieking with delight.

4) Saying certain words. Collin has what we call a "word of the day," that he chooses to be his funny word. Anytime it is said or he says it, he laughs hysterically. It could be a fun word to say like "zipper" or "trapezoid," but often it is just a normal run of the mill word that for whatever reason he finds hilarious.

5) Hiding from us in the house (in very obvious places, mind you) and then shrieking, "Where's Collin???!!" Like his voice isn't a dead giveaway. Again, the giggle fit follows.

I could seriously go on for days writing about his funny antics. I'm definitely glad he has a sense of humor. And I do love the sound of those giggle fits. But I do often wonder why he thinks certain things are funny, as I'm sure most parents do about their toddlers as well. So, go ahead, post about your favorite comedic kid moment. I'd love to hear about them.

The "Bumpy" Mom

Alright, so I'm four months pregnant, so I suppose it's time to post some "bump" pics. And while I'm gaining weight at a slower rate than I did with Collin (trying to pace myself a bit this time!), I somehow still look larger! Oh well, what can you do? I will post side by side shots so you can compare Collin to Baby #2.

First up, this is me 4 months pregnant with Collin:


Besides the portruding tummy, I look downright skinny in that photo! What happened?! ;)

And here is me 4 months pregnant with Baby #2:


Try to ignore the twitching eye in that photo...must be all that sugar I've been consuming!

And no, I'm just having one...there are no twins in there...just making a good, quality, roomy home for the kid I guess. I know some people think these bumps are cute and whatnot, but I really only think they are cute on other people!:)

Oh well, at least the end result is worth it!

The "Jealous" Mom

That's right, I'm jealous. Not of some insanely gorgeous woman, not of some fantastically rich celebrity, but I'm jealous of my own husband and here's why...

So, I'm pregnant! Yeah! After our miscarriage in May, I am happy to report that I about 14 weeks and things are looking good, despite some early bumps in the road. I'm super excited.

You know what's great about being pregnant? Eating! I am super lucky to not really get sick while I'm pregnant and truth be told I use being pregnant as a sort of free pass to eat without guilt. Oh I know you're not supposed to, but really, this is my last kid and I'm going out with a bang.

When I was pregnant with Collin, my husband was super supportive of my need to eat. He gained about 20 pounds while I put on my 50 and all was well with the world. Here's a shot of myself dangerously close to morbid obesity if I wasn't carrying a child:


But this time???!! Oh no, he's on a get in shape kick. He's eating better, he's exercising multiple times a week and I have to say I'm jealous, even a bit perturbed!

I mean really, can't he wait another six months and then we can both be on the get in shape bandwagon? It is truly no fun to be gaining at least a pound a week while your husband is losing it. Sheesh!

So, while I usually love my hubby, this whole working out thing needs to take a six month hiatus. Ok, I gotta go eat a piece of cake now. I've worked up an appetite typing this.

A "Secretive" Mom

Don't get me wrong...I absolutely love my life.

I have a hottie hubby who has an awesome job that allows me to stay home and live pretty comfortably:


I have the most adorable kid:


I really like my house and the town in which I live.

I've made some pretty awesome girlfriends who share my love of thai food.

On the surface my life looks pretty awesome, and for the most part it is. But there are feelings that I keep hidden. Things that bother me, dreams I have yet to accomplish that sometimes seem unattainable, emotions that seem unbearable at times...and today I found myself thinking I bet we all have these "secrets" that we tell no one. Not even our beloved hubbies for fear they won't really understand.

Maybe I'm too introspective, but sometimes I get lost in these feelings and have to pull myself out of the funk. Oh I'm not depressed or anything like that...I usually get lost in my "secrets" following some sort of event that bums me out or makes me start thinking that even the most "perfect" lives have tragedy and heartbreak. I guess it makes us stronger, more well-rounded people in the long run, but when you're in the moment of it, it just sucks. Sometimes I question God. Sometimes I wonder if God and I can have a "come to Jesus" meeting, but that seems a bit ironic, right?

So, "that mom" fans (all six of you!), do you have secrets too?

A "Hot" Mom

Not that I ever fancied myself as a "hot" woman, but after having a child I definitely felt my "hot" factor go down a few notches. You know how it is moms... Once you have a child the effort that it takes to actually put on makeup, cute clothes, let alone shower, stands a very distant second to sleep, wearing a hat, and schleping on some sweats. Oh I know there are some "hot moms" out there that seem to have an unfaltering sense of style, the trendiest in clothes, perfectly coifed hair, all the while toting their adorably dressed toddler and matching Gucci diaper bag.

WHATEVER!

Anyway, I found myself in a situation where I definitely needed an updated self image. My hubby won a trip through his job that was taking us to Sunny Southern California, the land of "hotness." We had to do activities with actual "hot moms/wives" that included going to a bar and some schmancy dinners, etc. I definitely need a "refresh" for such an outing.

It's amazing what a little money (I allowed myself a bit of a frivolous shopping spree) and effort can accomplish. And I have to say, I felt really good about myself when I was all put together. I got a little bit of my mojo back! See a few pics below:





And those "hot wives" I was so worried about...well, I got drunk and made friends with them and I fit right in! ;)





The moral of this story? I'm vowing to put a little more effort into my appearance on at least a weekly basis. (Lord knows I can't keep this up every day!)...but if I have one good day a week, the boost in my self image is priceless!

The "Not Just A Mom" Mom

Today I remembered that I am not just a mom, but also a wife. I don't know about you other moms out there, but sometimes I really feel like I take my hubby for granted. He's such a good guy that he puts up with my moodiness and general shenanigans, so it's really easy for me to just put him on the back burner. We've had a rough few months. Most of you know I suffered a miscarriage in May, and I have to say it's thrown me for a loop. I just haven't been "myself."

Then out of the blue, I get a "ding dong" at the door and a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a really sweet note from my hubby. If that doesn't jolt me back into our relationship, I don't know what could!

So today I am vowing to put our relationship first. If you're like me, it's really easy to let taking care of your child (children) take over your life. And don't get me wrong, I love my little munchkin to pieces (even if he doesn't eat), but if mom and dad aren't solid, then he's not as well taken care of as he should be.

So, thank you sweet hubby! I'm glad you sent me flowers and more importantly I'm glad that you reminded me how much I love you and why I love you. You always seem to take care of our relationship and for that I am grateful. So grateful, in fact, that you may just get lucky tonight. ;)

A "Crafty" Mom

Ok, so I'm totally not crafty like my friend Ashleigh, who's Bee in our Bonnet blog blows my mind! Or like my friend Katie, who throws the world's most awesome toddler birthday party. But I do try to be cute and crafty at times to let my little munchkin know that I care. I was quite impressed by own efforts at embellishing this shirt for a charity bowling tournament we attended with my husband for his employer, Farmers Insurance. I bascially bought a white button down shirt at Old Navy, added some bowling buttons and iron lettering and viola! My son looked like a league bowler! In case you are wondering, 31 is my husband's district number.

The "This Kid's Gonna Eat if it Kills Me" Mom

Ok, so I know a lot of my postings on facebook and on my blog are about the weird situation of Collin's lack of interest in food. I truly don't understand it. I love food. I love to eat. I'm not even really picky about what I consume. Husband loves food. Husband loves to eat. Again, husband not picky about what he eats either. I've finally had enough so I'm on a mission to change my child's ways...

The Background: Collin mostly eats baby food and he's a little over two years old. He still loves baby food fruit and veggies and rice cereal. He will eat other "normal" cereal and carbs and an occassional chicken nugget or french fry. He will also eat turkey, but only if he's in the cart at the grocery store. Very weird. Can a 2 year old be diagnosed with OCD? Because really I think this whole food debaucle boils down to him HATING change with a passion. (Totally gets that from dad by the way).

The Plan: I've decided to cut out his "baby food" dinner meal and make him eat dinner with us as a family. (I used to feed him about an hour earlier with oatmeal and applesauce...yes, that's all he would eat). Yesterday I put a small portion of tri tip, baked potato, and a strawberry on his plate. He cried. He asked us to "move the food." Yes, this is what he does...he doesn't even want to look at the food. OCD, OCD. Well, he didn't eat anything, but it was a small victory in that he sat at the table with us the whole time while we ate, and finally stopped crying and let us keep the plate of food in front of him. The next day at lunch, I gave him real peas, a strawberry, and a mini turkey sandwich. Again, cried, didn't eat, but pushed around the peas on the plate. It will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings.

Moms out there: I'm really open to opinions/ideas on how to help my child find a love for food. I'm at my wits end. Oh yeah, he can't use utensils either. He refuses and says, "mama do it." Grr....

PS. That picture is not our dinner...I googled a tri tip picture. ;)

The "Take My Junk Please" Mom

I'm not sure why, but I really do love having a garage sale. I've only had one before (right before we moved to Lincoln), but I found it awesome that people would pay me to haul away stuff that I would just give away. Even though my first garage sale I only made $100, I still thought it was totally worth it. I mean that's like two dinners out for my hubby and I, plus I had way less trips to take to the Goodwill when it was all over.

My hubby, on the other hand, thinks we could be doing something more fun on a Saturday morning. He's nuts. There is nothing more fun than 1) meeting new people as they come by to troll through your stuff, 2) seeing how others treasure your junk,3) hanging out with your neighbors as they take part in the community garage sale, and 4)people paying you (I don't care if it's even just a nickel!) to haul off your junk! Seriously, I'm super excited about it.

This time around, my garage sale will be even more awesome! I enlisted my cricut to make fancy signs. Since I don't scrapbook, I have to make up projects like these to use my cricut so that my husband feels his $300 investment in the machine is being utilized. I'm also taking part in a community wide garage sale date, so I got free advertising and more traffic to boot!

Last night I even dreamed about my garage sale. The idea of purging myself of clutter was delightful in my mind! And let me tell you since having Collin, I feel we have more clutter than ever.

My biggest challenge will be keeping Collin at bay as we sell some of his toys, clothes, and books. He's already been digging through a box of books in the garage pulling out some old favorites. Yikes! How do you explain to a 2 year old that all the cash he'll get for old books will turn into new books??!!

If you live in the area, stop on by this Saturday from 8am-3pm. I really have some good junk...errr...stuff! :)

A "Proud" Mom

Today my husband and I took Collin to a birthday party that was at a horse ranch. I was a bit apprehensive because even though Collin rode a horse before, he's going through this phase where he's decided he's "scared" of everything new. (Maybe that's the food issue too...scared of new food). Anyway our last horse outing was during Christmas and the horse sneezed when he was about to get on and of course a total meltdown followed. Since Collin has a memory like a steel trap, I was sure he would not even get on the horse. My husband decided that he was getting on the horse no matter what though, so we gave it a try. We of course had to talk about riding the horse for about thirty minutes and watch the other kids do it before he said he was ready to try it. And I was pleasantly suprised! He loved it! He actually rode the horse twice and did the tractor hay ride! It was a great day! Thanks Kerry for the invite! Collin conquered a fear!!! The video is so fun! Try to ignore my nervous giggling and commentary and focus on the cuteness that is Collin.

An "Active Parent" Mom

I know my kid is only 2, but today I visited my first preschool in Lincoln. There are only about 4 preschools in this town, so apparently you have start early if you want your pick of the liter. It was so much fun to see the colors, stories, and imaginative play of the preschool. It really brought me back to memories of my own. And yes, I totally remember my preschool.

Before going, we told Collin that we were going to check out a school today for him to attend...just like Nemo wants to go to school. (Nemo is his latest obsession). The whole car ride he was talking about the toys and games that might be there. It was so cute. The best part though was after about 15 minutes of touring the place, Collin looks at me and my husband, then the teacher and proclaims, "Have to go bye bye" while heading toward the door. I guess 15 minutes was plenty for him. Good thing he's not starting for another year!

I felt like I was really taking an active part in my child's education today. While I know I'm going to cry my eyes out the day I actually do send him to preschool, I know it is the right thing for him. I'm really looking forward to him learning and having little friends. So cute!

A "Lady Who Lunches" Mom

Today was awesome because my wonderful husband took the day off so I could have lunch with an old friend. I was so excited about this that I actually think I was a better mom today before and after my lunch date. It's amazing what a 3 hour break can do to help a mama out!
I started the morning taking Collin to Story Time at the Library with my husband. It was so fun to watch Jerry watch Collin because he never gets to go with us. The picture here is from an old story time a few months ago, but you can get the idea. Anyway, Jerry took Collin to lunch after and my girlfriend picked me up at the library for our lunch date. I got to talk "adult" and have a margarita. And when I got home, I was super excited to spend the rest of the evening with Collin. I missed that little bug-a-boo!

A "Enabling Pusher" Mom

Here's my kid. Cute, right? We are at Disneyworld for his 2nd birthday and here he is eating his birthday cupcake with gusto. You would never know that this kid is the world's worst eater. He's still eating baby food veggies and fruit. The only "real" food he eats are anything carbohydrate related. He used to love cheese. He used to love strawberries. He used to love turkey sandwiches. No more! Now he loves chicken nuggets, crackers, and granola bars.
This is proving very frustrating to me. I waste a lot of food trying to "introduce" new foods to him. He is also totally capable of feeding himself with a spoon, albeit a bit messy (I've seen him do it), but throws a crazy tantrum for me to feed him with it. And yes, I give in.
Hence, I have become one version of "that mom." I believe I am an enabler/pusher. How can I be both? They seem contradictory, right? Oh no...see I enable him for awhile and then I get fed up and become the pusher...trying to all of a sudden get him to feed himself with a spoon, etc. I never thought I would be either one. How did this happen?