thursday things

1. We have a tad bit of crankiness going on in this little casa. But it comes in spurts and in between they are happy as little twin clams just chillin' on the ocean floor. The fussiness though is intense and so sad. Which led me, in my teething research, to this Baltic amber teething necklace. I've read a few blogs of moms who have babies who wear them and they swear by them. Have any of y'all heard of them? I'm willing to try almost anything. {P-dubs is not though and he thinks it's weird.}

2. My sweet friend Laci stopped by on Monday and dropped off this little gift. Made my week. I love Passion tea but it's really strong. Today I mixed it with a little pink lemonade. Amazing. Who needs Starbucks?! Not this girl.

3. My daughters like to put their lovies over their faces to fall asleep. Makes me so nervous. Once they're asleep I always go in and take them but I still hate it.

4. The girls have officially outgrown their gDiapers. This isn't saying much though since the smalls went up to only 13 pounds. Way to pack on the pounds, girls. I liked the gDiapers because our Bumgenius were so bulky when they were tiny {forever}. But now I want something to last until potty training. We have a few Bumgenius and a few Flips but, now that I've gotten my feet wet (not literally, in case you're worried) with cloth diapering, I'm kind of feeling brave enough to try prefolds, snappis, covers, and the whole shebang. {If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you are like me a year ago. Think more old school...like how they used to pin diapers. On second thought, maybe I'm not so brave.} I also read some good reviews about these diapers. They're made in the U.S. I like that. 

5. I have been eating graham crackers with peanut butter and milk like they are going out of style. Which maybe they did. In like elementary school. 

6. Get yourself some cream cheese, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and chicken and make this meal. I'm always telling people to make food. I'm weird like that. Usually, I rant and rave about healthy food. {You've probably never met someone who can get so excited about quinoa.} This is not really healthy per se but it's so easy and tastes like you got it from a fancy Italian restaurant. The only thing I do differently is add a little balsamic vinegar to the topping. 

Too many cooks in the kitchen? Just look at that pesto/cream cheese goodness.

7. And I'm off to research some more cloth diapers. It's addicting. I know, that's hard to believe but, nevertheless, I may need an intervention.

easy italian bread {what i ate wednesday}

My mom's best friend, Jeri Jo, is the person to go to if you need a recipe or have a question about anything involving cooking or sewing or antiquing or the best way to wash a dog or how to raise sheep or grow a really big pumpkin. Pretty much anything. When she came to visit in February she gave me a recipe for wicked easy French bread. And it really is easy. And delicious.  

Charleigh with her NoniJo.

They look so tiny!

But I found one a few weeks ago that's even easier.  {Actually, they are almost the same. I was just closer to a computer to Google a recipe than I was to my phone to look back at her text message.} Anyways, it's easier than going to the store and buying bread (at least if that involves getting two children in car seats and then in the stroller and...sheesh). It's so good it'll knock your socks off. If I can make it anyone can make it. And we really needed some home baked goodness around this place today. I was in a straight up funk. My heart wasn't right. The girls were fussier than I've ever seen them. {Perhaps teething?!? Please, no.} So we were all in funks together and nobody wanted to nap (except for me but I don't count). While Charleigh was sleeping for the whopping twenty minutes she slept this afternoon (thankful for that much!), Logan and I got busy on this bread. This recipe can be found here along with quite a few variations.  I added olive oil to make the bread a little softer and more Italian-like. I also added some garlic and Parmesan cheese for a little bit o' flava.

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 package RapidRise yeast
• Salt to taste (I just put in a couple dashes?)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• minced garlic (optional)
• grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 2 and 1/2 cups flour 

1.  In a bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. I don't even stir it. Just let it sit for 5 minutes. 

I've never made anything with yeast before because I think it's a scary ingredient. Way too fancy for this little cook.  But, it turns out, yeast is not to be feared, my friend.

 

2. Take pictures of your smiling helper. I swear this was one of only 3 smiles the whole day when usually she will smile at anything--the dog, the dishwasher, her toys, her hands.

3.  Add the flour a little bit at a time until it is stiff enough to knead.

 

4.  Add the garlic and cheese (if you're using them) and knead the dough for a few minutes. The dough should be smooth.  

 

5.  Put the dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise for an hour. 

 

 

In case you were wondering,  freshly risen dough feels a lot like your stomach after you have a baby. So squishy and soft. And if you weren't wondering, just pretend I didn't say that because, yeah, I guess that is a little weird that I thought of that.

6.  Form the dough into a loaf shape and place on a greased baking sheet. Put the dough in the oven and turn it on to 375. (Don't preheat the oven. The dough will rise again as the oven warms up.) Bake for 30-40 minutes.

So easy, right? Make it. You won't regret it. And it just might turn your day around.

memorial day: thank you

 I used to be so embarrassed when my dad or grandpa would walk up to a person in uniform and say, 'Thank you.'  I thought it was awkward. I thought it would annoy that person waiting at the gate for their flight home or the flight taking them too far from home. I thought that they probably didn't want to hear it. 

But as I look at these girls and think about their fragile little lives all I want to do is say thank you. I feel so grateful to be able to raise these sisters in a country where good men and women are willing to risk their lives to protect them--that they are shielded  from harsh realities other babies are born into around the world. 

And thank you doesn't seem enough because, really, it isn't enough.  'Thank you' can't begin to cover the danger they put themselves in, or the hurt a family feels when theirs is lost, or the milestones and moments that are missed while they are away serving a public that too often takes them for granted.

 I pray that someday these girls will remember to say, 'Thank you.' That they will not live a life feeling entitled to this freedom they have. That they will realize the sacrifice behind it. I pray that I can raise them to be patriotic and proud. That I can model for them a life lived worthy of the sacrifice. That they will live worthy of it, too.  And that they will always be brave enough to say 'thank you.'

five months

 

Charleigh Grace and Logan Addison

Five Months

{I will get better at this. I will get better at this. I'm only two months behind.}

 

one month

two months

three months

four months

thursday things

1. A few weeks ago, these really neat hair ties were on GMA's Steals and Deals. And I got sucked in. I mean, they're 'guaranteed to make your outfit and your day?!? ' That's a lot for a little hair tie to do. They said that Jennifer Aniston uses them and they don't leave a dent when you take your hair down. {My sister-in-law did remind me, however, that Jennifer Aniston has magical hair so we really can't go off of that testimonial. She's right.} So these amazing hair ties came and our mailman decided the box was little enough to fit in our mail box. It was not. 

 I couldn't get those things out of there for the life of me. Paul had to do it. He's much more destructive. And strong. {That's where Logan gets it from. I should have just had her get them out.} 

Anyways, these hair ties are cute but probably not worth the money. Good thing they were half off.  I still haven't tested the whole 'they don't leave a mark' thing because, once my hair is up, it is up.

2.  I put my babies in 6-9 month pajamas the other night. Not ok. That seems huge and old to me. I know they're almost 7 months so it makes sense. But it just seems too fast.

3. Kelly really needs to just pick a co-host already. And it probably shouldn't be Reggie Bush. As much as I LOVE when he is on it because he's so darn adorable, I just don't think he's cut out for it. {It annoys Paul that I have a 'crush' on Reggie Bush. But it annoys me that he has a crush on Cam Newton. So we're even.}

4. Sometimes, when you have two babies, you need two coffees. 

Not really. One of those was Paul's. Friday morning we loaded the girls up and went and got coffee. It was splendid. 

5.  I saw these in the Dollar Spot at Target and immediately had a flashback to my camp counselor days. Those things were a hot commodity around PLCBC.

6. Today I worked out for the first time since I had the girls. I've been meaning to do so since sometime around the middle of December. Oh well.

7.  I have discovered that my offspring prefer anything that makes a crinkly sound (baby wipes containers, partially deflated foil balloons, paper) to actual toys. Here's to cheap birthday presents. Just kidding. {A little.}

8.  I made this little quinoa number for dinner last night and loved it. P-dubs kind of liked it. It went well with his steak which I think was its saving grace.

thankful

Today I'm thankful: 


For a husband who humors me and takes me out to breakfast because he knows I love it so much. {And that his job is flexible enough that we can go to breakfast on a Tuesday morning. Oh, and for Groupons. }

For babies who are excited about tasting anything and everything.

For walks with good friends (and cute babies).

For sisters.

That this one was still for this brief moment in time. Otherwise, she's a little maniac.

For favorite toys.

For this.