A Post About Natalie

Natalie LOVES to sing. She loves to listen to music and dance. However, catching her on video singing is almost impossible. She knows the words and tunes to so many songs, but is a little camera shy.



That is, unless she's run off with my camera and I hear her say "cheese" a bunch of times.

Splish, Splash

Audrey's New Shoes

Natalie spent the night with Emma & Anna last night, so Audrey and I have had some bonding time together. We didn't get home until after 9:30, so it was straight to bed for the both of us. Audrey woke up around 8:30 this morning, and cuddled with me for a bit. She then turned, looked right into my eyes and said, "Mama, get dressed. I go shopping".

As we got dressed, I asked where she wanted to go. She said the store with the red balls (Target), so she could buy some shoes. I needed to pick up cat food and some polo shirts for Eddie anyway, so off to Target we went. While there, Audrey didn't find any shoes she liked. She kept saying "no like those" to every pair I tried to show her. We ended up paying and leaving to get lunch.

I had a coupon for a free Fire House sub, so we shared a turkey sandwich. Afterwards, we headed to a little gift store called Dobson's in Greer. They have hardware stuff, and also cute monogrammed and personalized things. The moment we walked in the door, Audrey spotted a wall full of shoes and said "Ohhhh!". She ran over and picked out a pair of shoes, sat on the floor to pull off her shoes, and tried them on.

She looked at me with big, brown eyes and said "I need money to buy shoes". How could I resist?

So Audrey is now the proud owner of pink & green mary-jane Crocs.

Show Us Your Life - Favorite Dessert

I posted this last year, but it is still by far one of the best desserts I have ever made, and deserving of a re-post!

Memorial Day is coming up, and I know most of us have picnics, BBQs, or other gatherings to go to. And if your family is like mine, everyone brings something. I get tired of running into the grocery store on my way to a party, only to get the slim pickings of frosted broken cookies, or fruit cake.

So this year, I've come up with something new to bring. A blackberry wine bundt cake. And it is simply delicious (and rather easy to make).

Ingredients for the cake:
1/2 finely chopped pecans (they sell these pre-chopped on the baking aisle)
1 box white cake mix
1 box blackberry jello
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup blackberry wine (I used Arbor Mist...classy)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped blackberries (or more if you wish)

Ingredients for the glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup blackberry wine
2-3 cups confectioner's sugar




Directions:
Grease a bundt pan (I had to go out and buy one - they are round, with a bumpy top and a stick in the middle - the cake bakes upside down). I just rubbed a bit of butter all in the insides. If you grease another way, go for it.

Dump the 1/2 cup of pecans around the bottom of the pan


In a bowl, mix together the cake mix, wine, jello, vegetable oil, blackberries and eggs. Make sure all clumps are out. I highly suggest using child labor.

Until they try to start flinging it.

Then pour on top of the pecans in the bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Take out of oven, but do not remove from pan. Take a long pronged fork, and poke holes all around the top (actually, the bottom of the cake once you flip it). Pour half of the glaze mixture onto the cake while it is still hot.

Allow the cake to cool for an hour. Take a decorative plate, and put it on top of the pan, flipping the pan gently to get the cake out.

You will carefully drizzle the top of the cake with the remaining glaze mixture. If you are running low, add a bit more wine and sugar. If you really want the cake to look purple and have thick glaze, add more sugar.

Voila - you've just made a kick ass dessert, that will have children of all ages bending over backwards for a bite.

Wedding Plans

Eddie and I have talked extensively about wedding planning. Our first thought was to elope this summer, and have a wedding vow renewal next summer with family and close friends. We researched places and ideas, and liked the idea of having a reception on a cruise ship in Charleston, and then sailing away afterwards.

Then we thought instead of just eloping this summer, we’d have a small ceremony at one of the many old plantation type homes around South Carolina. But then we realized I really don’t want to go to the hassle of buying another wedding dress, and ordering invitations, and picking out flowers, and he really doesn’t want to rent a tuxedo.

So, back to square one, we thought about eloping and then afterwards having a nice dinner with our families. We looked into some of the upscale restaurants around Greenville (High Cotton, Larkins, Rick Erwins, The Cazbah, etc) and mentioned renting a room out. But then we got into the number of people, plus the sheer amount of children under the age of 3, and it started to become a headache. And we don’t want headaches!

Finally, Eddie came up with the most absolute perfect solution. We will elope, just the two of us. The girls will spend a few nights with my parents and/or Eddie’s parents, and we will have a Honeystay. Ok, that just sounds weird, so let me explain. For his honeymoon, Eddie and his ex-wife went to the mountains. For my honeymoon, my ex-husband and I went to the beach. Therefore, we neither one wanted to go to those places. Instead, Eddie mentioned all of the things around Greenville that we’ve wanted to do, but just don’t simply have time to with children always home. The nice restaurants, a play at Café & Then Some, several museums (Art, Upcountry History), biking and hiking trails, going to the lake, and a comfy room at a historic hotel or bed & breakfast. No fuss, no pomp & circumstance, no stress, and no headaches. It sounds so perfect, and perfect for the two of us.

Eat & Run

Since the girls are on the mend, eating hasn't been on their list of top priorities. I chalk it up to things probably don't taste too great, and their little throats have been sore. So getting them to eat dinner at the table is pretty much out of the picture. Also, getting them to eat what we eat (steak, chicken, pasta, or even offering grilled cheese) is a moot point. Instead, they've had cereal for dinner the past four nights. But at least they aren't starving.

Sleep

Well, the sleep issues in my house are like a roller coaster ride - and I just want off. Last week, I couldn't sleep alone. This week, the girls are sleeping in their own beds the whole night, but wake up about 3 to 4 times each. I have to go in their rooms, pick them up, rub their backs, and then put them back to bed. I have NO earthly idea what is waking them up. I'm hoping things get better this summer. I do plan on potty training them, and taking away their lovies (Natalie just cuddles with hers, but Audrey chews on hers as she sleeps) in the near future. I figure the best time will be when I'm home with them this entire summer.

I'm also looking at twin sized beds for the girls. I'm in love with this bunk/trundle set from Amazon. Until the girls are older, we'd be able to separate the beds and have them either in different rooms, or in the same room.

If Money Grew on Trees

I'd be a very happy girl indeed

Better

The girls are feeling much better. We've been fever-free for over 24 hours. Natalie's voice is a little hoarse, and Audrey is coughing. But so far, we seem to be on the mend.

Hiatus

The girls are sick. Things are hectic. I'll get back to regular blogging sometime in the near future. It seems to be just a virus going through. Natalie ran a high fever Thursday, and I ended up taking her to the doctor. Her ears looked fine, no indications of a UTI, but her throat was a little red. Her fever was still 102.6 on a dose of Motrin while we were at the doctor's office. Unfortunately, I also had to chaperone the 8th grade dance immediately after taking her to the doctors. My mom offered to stay and watch Natalie, so I took Audrey to the dance as my date. She had the most fun time. She was the first person out on the dance floor, and made all the kids laugh with her crazy dancing.

Friday when I got home from work, Audrey seemed a little flush. Right before bed, I gave both girls some Tylenol. Audrey went down without a fuss (very unusual as of late). Not long after , I heard this retching sound. Natalie had a little spit up, so I changed her sheets. She became super fussy afterward, and just could not get comfortable.

Almost as soon as Natalie finally got comfortable, Audrey woke up crying. I went into her room, saw her standing in her bed, and the moment I got a foot away, she just started spewing. Not knowing what to do (my girls haven't really been barfing sick), I just picked her up. And she kept going. I started freaking out because we were in the dark, and Eddie rushed in and turned on the light. He said "don't look - just go to the shower". I stripped the both of us, got into the warm shower, and cleaned up. I'm so thankful Eddie was here to help out - it took well over an hour to clean her room up, and I was in charge of the two sick babies while he cleaned. My mom even came over to help out.

We had a very rough night after, but the girls thankfully slept until 9 this morning. They seem a little better, and ate some breakfast. Let's hope this passes over soon!

I Need A Bigger Bed

The Proposal Story

Monday morning, Eddie sent me a text asking if I wanted to go out to a nice dinner. I replied yes, I’d love to go out. So I asked my sister if she would baby-sit, but she was unable to. By the time I got home from work, I was just planning on a quick dinner with the girls – Zaxby’s or maybe Mexican. When Eddie walked in from work, he said to get ready, that his mom & sister were going to watch the girls.

We dropped the girls off, and they were so happy to get to play. Eddie took me to Melting Pot (one of my favorite restaurants that I almost never get to go to). We ordered the cheddar cheese fondue and devoured it. Our second course was chicken and filet mignon in a court bouillon cooking sauce. By that time, I noticed Eddie was getting a bit jittery.

After we finished eating, Eddie started his proposal. He claimed he was always one of those people who was so burned by their first marriage, he could never see himself married again – until he met me. He loves the fact that I love him for who he is, and we don’t try to change each other. He also said he loved the fact I was odd (hey, that’s a compliment to me!), and not a typical woman. Eddie said he loved my girls, and would love nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with me, as his wife. Now, I’m not an emotional girly person, but I definitely teared up!

We’d already discussed engagement and marriage a little bit, and we’ve continued to talk about it. I think we’re of the mind that we’ll get married legally some time this summer (as in a marriage license with a signature), and have a small vow renewal/family celebration next summer. Things get sticky and complicated when you have two different court orders and custody agreements – and we want to follow everything by the book.

Thank you, everyone, for your support and loving words. It means the world to us!

A Glimpse...

Here's a 2 minute look into my life. The girls are jumping on the bed, then Natalie starts telling Audrey what to do, and they both realize the cat is eating their pink light, and they don't take too kindly to it. At the end, they hear Eddie's truck pull up in the driveway. Yes, they act that way every time he comes over. It's too cute!

I Said Yes

Random Ramblings

* I'm a zombie this morning. The girls went down to bed just fine around 8:45. Around 11:00, Natalie woke up crying, which woke up Audrey. Audrey insisted on sleeping in mama's bed, so I tossed her in beside me. About 10 minutes later, Natalie comes dragging her pillow and blanket to lay down on my floor. She ended up singing songs for about 45 minutes, while Audrey snored loudly next to me. Natalie would wake me up at odd times in the middle of the night to ask questions - "Watcha the tv?", "Chocolate milk?", "Kitty cat/motorcycle/choo choo/car wash scary". And Audrey insisted on holding my arm or rubbing my face the.entire.night. And let's not forget the pesky cat, trying to lay on my head to suffocate me. Can't forget him.

* I might stay late after school today just to take a nap.

* The upside of Audrey being awake every morning while I get ready for work, is that at 2.5, she properly knows how to apply makeup.


* Even to the cat.


* I am constantly amazed when students & parents can go 165 days of school not caring about failing grades - and beg ME to help THEM the last 15 days of school.

* My 8th graders complained that they only music I ever play during worktime is Star Wars or Disney. They stopped complaining when I brought in a Yo Gabba Gabba CD.

Weekend Pictures

Hello?

Hello? Is this thing on? Has Blogger been broken for over a day for everyone else? I got on last night to write a post, and realized I wasn't able to. I tried again this morning, to no avail. And now that I actually have Blogger up and running - I'm not all too sure what I wanted to post about in the first place!

So I'll leave y'all with this super cute picture of the girls. My mom has the day off while I'm at work, and Eddie has taken them to go play with his mom and sister for the day - and later Emma, when he picks her up. After work, I'll go and join them. He did their hair :)

Caramelized Garlic Chicken

Caramelized Garlic Chicken is perhaps one of my easiest, most favorite recipes. I always have to cook double, because we want leftovers to take for lunch!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (I use 4 teaspoons of already minced garlic)
4 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

* Preheat oven to 350.

* Heat the oil over medium/high and add the minced garlic. Stir for a minute or two.

* Add the brown sugar. Stir until all clumps are out, and it turns into a caramelized sauce.

* Put the chicken in a baking dish. Pour the caramelized sauce on top, and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Sorry I only got a before picture - I was too hungry to take an after picture!

Weird Child

We were watching TV, and I looked over at Natalie sitting in her chair and found her like this...