Mr. Clean

Finally....................
A man who will clean..................

Even if it's in his birthday suit!!!

They Say It's Your Birthday..........

I had a great birthday today with my sweeties! They brought me a red velvet cupcake, a new Fossil watch, and some really yummy smelling perfume!

But honestly, these are the three best gifts I ever received!

Goodbye Summer & Hello Fall Birthdays!

Today is a very special lady's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you.

I snapped this photo outside yesterday and it made me think. Summer. It's coming to a close. I feel fall sneaking in. Pumpkin spice candles and coffee creamer. Football and Fall birthdays. And please, let there be some rain and cool weather. I have high hopes! Yay!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Really Yummy!

1/2 c. butter

2 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp red food coloring

2/3 c. flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, room temp

1/3 c. sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

parchment paper

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 in metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting it extend up the sides and overhang slightly (this will make it easier to remove the brownies after they are baked. Butter the parchment(I sprayed with butter flavored Pam). FYI-I doubled the recipe and put it in a regular casserole sized metal baking pan.

2. In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together in microwave. Stir till smooth and let cool a few minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture slowly, so not to cook the eggs(I believe this is called tempering the eggs maybe?) and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt and stir well.

4. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

5. To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in dollops over batter in the pan. Swirl with a knife or spatula (don't over swirl-I did and I wanted to see more white/red instead of mixed on the top)

6. Bake for 35-40 min, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted should come out clean and edges lightly browned.

7. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack before lifting out the parchment paper. Cut into squares.

My Week-In Review

(Warning-long post & crazy mom babbling) Man, what a week it was. Not that anything earth shattering happened, but it did poop me out. I'm just tired thinking about it. Actually, let's backtrack to last Friday.

So Friday, Cita calls and blesses us with a last minute, surprise visit. We were jazzed! I was keeping Campbell for B anyways, so I had more hands to help. Even better. I cooked dinner and the kids played. Gunnar had been up the last two nights with croup and the nurse called him in some steroids Friday morning.

The kids played, but shortly after this pic, the green fairy would start to run fever. She continued to run it all night, whereas Gunnar decided he would wake up fifty times, just for the heck of it. Ok, he's had croup all week, but seriously. Saturday morning, we were moving pretty slow. Campbell would go to the dr later that morning only to find out she had strep. Don't worry-I sanitized that microphone.

But we couldn't move slow bc Slade had a football game across town at 10 am! Look at Gunnar-this is what we all looked like trying to make it to the game on time! It was cold and rainy and I didn't dress Finley warm enough.

And then Cita taught him how to drive. He might have to drive us to Slade's game one day.

Then Sunday I was deliriously tired and it was the 10th anniversary of 9-11. This was a memorial at one of the parks-a flag for every life lost on that day. I was really stunning in person. Flags everywhere. I had just been married less than two months. So I watched all the footage and Sunday night I went to bed being disturbed and saddened by all the memories of that terrible day.

Monday this dude had to go to the dr and I begged for some antibiotics. I hate to give him antibiotics, but he really needed something. It was getting ridiculous. And since Dr. Steve took off on us and the new pediatrician is suuuuuupppppeeerrr busy with his patients, his wife's who's on maternity leave patients, and all of Dr. Steve's old patients, it was too hard to get in. We ran to my drs clinic after we got brother and sister to school. Dr. Rozeen hooked us up. And can I just tell you that I have discovered that the new pediatrician is TWO years younger than me. Yes, disturbing, I know. I think of my guy friends I grew up with that are two years younger than me, and wonder if I would let them work on my sick child. Hmmmm. Yes, that's a post for another day.

Tuesday brought us to school day for everyone, errands out the wazoo, and Supper Club. Gunnar had a terrible day at school. Cried all day, along with the entire wing of the school. I think it was a cry day. That made me sad to leave him unhappy. That night I left all three kids with Kyle, who had to take them all to football practice, where it was cold and raining, and I snuck off to Supper Club. I made the dessert for the night-red velvet cheesecake brownies. And Yum is what I can say.

This made Supper Club even better.

And as Wednesday and Thursday rolled by, we didn't stop. Within those two days, we did homework, fund raised, kept Allie-bug, picked up that rugrat in the above photo from school, cooked, cleaned, cleaned, washed,

did sports day, washed more clothes, gave medicine, ran more errands,

braided hair, washed, took Tylenol, packed lunch, bottles, food, washed, picked up, changed diapers,
took pics of all three kids, picked up, cleaned the kitchen. Did I mention I washed???

In the midst of everything else, I decided to move Gunnar in Finley's room with her. Yes, this deserves a post all to itself. Here are the highlights. I painted till midnight Monday, after what seemed like 50 different paint colors, painted three hours on Tuesday, went through two entire closets, and 8 million toys.

The room was red, now it looks like this. Like I said, this will be another post.

And then this dude just looked cute in footed pjs and pushed his toy around the living room all week.
And then my friend from California sent me this where I came to the immediate conclusion that I am not the #1 Twilight Fan. This person apparently is. Which reminds me I also began reading Breaking Dawn again because it's only 8 weeks away from the first movie!!!! I have to be up to speed, you know, seeing that I won't be getting this tatoo-ed on my torso. I really have no words for this work of art......

And Gunnar did alot of chihuahua watching out the patio door this week, as well.

And eating. Actually he didn't eat as much this week bc he was puny, but it evidently didn't stop him from spitting medicine in my face. Hates it.

And after what seems like 12 football practices, football pics, a dance lesson, a niece's soccer game, and Gunnar being drug around and woken up from at least 10 naps, that brings up to the weekend. Our AC went out in the house on Friday night. My husband has acted distraught, my kids are grumpy. We've kept the doors open all weekend, where we've heard dogs barking, birds chirping, and we even had a stray dog walk into our living room and look at me. Fun times. But at least it's not 105 degrees. I took S & F to church this morning while Kyle and G stayed at home calling AC repairmen. I wonder how much this will cost? Please just be the freon. Please just be the freon. Please just be the freon. Repeat after me.

And we concluded non-air-conditioned weekend with Slade's second football game.

The pros: Slade got to play on turf for the first time

The cons: Slade's team lost, we were there over two hours-with a 10 month old, it was hot, and the stands had no backs.

Finley was mad that I didn't let her push the stroller after she ran the stroller into a telephone pole walking up to the game. Gunnar was mad Slade woke him up looking for his football uniform.

The game wasn't the best of times. And that's all I have to say about that.

So that sums up this week and then some. I will conclude with this.......

Hamburger meat that rotted one day after the sell by date(and made me really mad) - $6.75

6 cans of sample paint to find the right shade of khaki - $18

A prescription of steroids and antibiotics - $30

The feeling you get when your AC goes out and you leave the front door open long enough for a bird to crap inside your entryway - PRICELESS!

Note to Self.......

Take more pics of all of my three kids together. I realized this weekend that I don't have hardly any pics of them all together. And I might try to focus a little better the ones I do take........

Thirsty

Finley's First Day of Kinder!

Yesterday was Fin's first day of half-day kinder at Lakeridge. She was excited and looked super cute on her first day!

Since she just turned five less then six weeks before school started, we decided that she would do a private kindergarten this school year. We thought she needed another year to grow. I have worried many nights about what to do with a July birthday. After I toured the school and thought about things, I knew this was the place for her this year. This school is an "accredited" kinder so next year in public school we have the option to do kinder again or go on to first grade. Right now I plan on sending her to kindergarten. I know that we will not be sorry we kept her another year and I feel great about my decision.

New backpack that she picked out.

She goes every day of the week, so this is very new to her to have to get up. She goes till noon on M,W,F and till 2:45 on T, Th. It's new for me to get three kids to their designated places!!!

And brother started his Children's Day Out at her school, too. He just goes T, Th. It's pretty crazy on those mornings around here! By 10am, I feel as though I've worked a whole day shuffling kids, clothes, food, bottles! As you can tell, G didn't want to stay still for the photo!

Finley finally caught him long enough to snap a photo! He had a good day, too! If I can get all my paperwork turned in, my plan is to sub at Slade's school on those days. It is going to take some strategic planning to do so, but I'm going to give it a good try anyways.

My girl! Love her!

Gunnar is Ten Months!!!

I have no idea where last week went, but it came and went and it's already Tuesday. Don't ask me. But what I can tell you is that a certain someone turned ten months last week! I really have no words. I have less than two months to enjoy Gunnar's first year and then I will never get it back. The rate at which these babies grow and change is truly amazing. And sad. And makes me want to stop the clock and kiss his fat little neck and touch the little blond chick fuzz hair on the back of his very large head. I love this baby!

This is what he does for the better part of his day. Pulls up to a stand, and then gets into whatever he can get his hands on. He even started to try to get away from me this afternoon by crawling down the hall in turbo mode! It was so funny and he chuckled when I caught him!

Ten Month Stats:

Size: 21 lbs. 10 oz. & 28 inches

Teeth: 4-two top, two bottom

Diapers: Size 4

Clothes: 12-18 mo, 18 mo

Tricks: says "Duck" and moves his hands to the song

Hair: blond and is getting a bit longer in the back

Eyes: Now I'm not sure they are going to stay blue-they are looking a little grey like his Nana's eyes.

Sleeping: Goes to bed around 7:30. Has a bottle at midnight. Usually sleeps till 5 or 6. Short nap in the morning, and hopefully a longer nap at 3pm. He is slowly getting better but I don't think he will ever be a master sleeper!!! Ha!

Highlights: Pushes while walking his standing toy around the living room, shakes his head "no" and uses his hand to push something away he doesn't want, sucks out of a straw.

If we ask him where Finley is, he will look at her-does this with all of us, including the dog! Puts balls into his toy all by himself. Cita showed him how to turn the light switch off. Pulls all the lids out of the kitchen drawer!

He says some word that starts with a "B" when he sees the dog, so I think he's trying to say something that sounds like Bella to him. Yes, he might be a genius.

He loves to play in Finley and Slade's rooms-so many things to put in his mouth!!!

"Mom, what exactly am I doing here? I don't get it?"

"Oh, you are wanting to take my photo for the tenth time with that piece of paper! I get it!"

Nope, he's outta here!

But wait a minute, he might just want to grab that paper. He loves him some good old-fashioned notebook paper!

He rips.

He bites.

He eats. And luckily he now spits out the paper pieces he eats.

"Hmmmmm. Not as good as I once thought it was. It's a little dry."

Some new things Gunnar learned this month:

1.)He has mastered drinking out of a straw! I bought him two sippy cups that have straws. Works great for him!

2.) Loves to try to turn on the water and pull out the stopper in the bath tub, which leads to him slipping and sliding and practically diving in the tub. It's basically like a whale splashing all over the tub real crazy-like. I am usually drenched too.

We have now moved on to big boy jammies. I am very sad about this. Not many one pieces come in his size any more so I had to buy the two piece ones. I am not accepting this fact very well, although he does look precious in them!

Four teeth total these days. Could he be any cuter?!? I cannot forget to tell that the last month or so, Kyle has been taking him when he wakes up at 6am on Saturday mornings and lets me sleep. They have been going to Cracker Barrel to eat before 8 and I hear that G likes pancakes quite well!

And as of today, I think we are officially done with baby food. He just refuses to eat it anymore. He wants to pick up everything now and feed himself. I can't say I'm too sad about this. It does take more time cutting all foods up into squares, but he can now eat what we do minus the salt and sugar (unless he's with Kyle and then he let's him eat anything-including a peanut).

New Foods he's tried: salmon, beef, weenies, still loves black beans, pineapple, mushrooms, tomato sauce, chick peas, loves canned peas-who knew?, loves whole wheat toast, spaghetti noodles, fig Greek yogurt, eggs, bacon. He eats pretty much anything. Not a fan of bananas or couscous though, to my dismay! I love bananas. I love couscous.

But I will say I have created a monster with the homemade food-he will not eat any packaged meals now. I went out of town this past weekend and he wouldn't eat any of the Gerber meals I bought to leave for him to eat. I had baked chicken with olive oil and spices, cut it into cubes, and froze it. I had to get that out and warm it and he shoveled it in! I guess he's a healthy eater! Yeah!