Happy 1st Birthday Arielle!!

 Since you came into this world 5 days late and 9 and a half pounds of rolly polly sweetness I haven't been able to imagine my life without you. When I was pregnant with you I worried that I might not be able to love another child as much as I loved your brother but, like the Grinch, my heart grew 3 sizes that day. The day that you were born. One year ago today. Your laid back demeanor and sunny disposition make you the easiest baby. If I had a nickle for every time someone asked me if you "Are always this happy" I could buy you a pony by now.

I am so glad you got to meet your great grandma before she passed away. You thought she was the funniest thing ever. She thought you were pretty amazing yourself. Over the last year I have seen you come into your own sweet little personality. You adore your big brother (even when he knocks you down) and light up when you see me or Daddy. Thank you for making me a mommy for the second time and, even though it pains me to see you already blooming from a baby to a toddler, I look forward to watching you grow even more. You've come a long way baby and you have so far yet to go! Happy first birthday my sweet baby girl.

When timeouts just won't cut it

My 3 year old is pushing the limits of my patience. Please tell me I am not alone. Ever since his baby sister was born he has been a little rough with her. Not so much when she was a tiny baby, but as soon as she could sit up (and be knocked over), I have not been able to leave them in a room together alone. He will tackle her, push her down, trip her, whack her with stuffed animals and I have had it. I would say a good 75% of his timeouts are because of this roughness with his sister. When he actually makes her cry I can tell he feels bad, but I can't seem to get across the seriousness of this behavior to him. Every single time he is rough with her it lands him in timeout. I am consistent to a fault, but I haven't noticed any change in the behavior. I have tried explaining to him calmly and now I'm at a loss of what to do. It is making me so frustrated and upset that I find myself yelling at him, which I am sure is the opposite of what I should do to convince him that loosing your temper and lashing out is not proper behavior. I have tried reinforcing good behavior but I need some advice. Have any of you dealt with older siblings being mean to their younger ones? Any tips or tricks or advice for this mom who is about to duct tape her 3yo's arms to his sides to keep him from using them inappropriately??

Today...

Today holds a whole lot of emotions for me.

It has been 10 years since I lost my Papa Al.

It has also been 9 years since I lost my Mama.

Today was the day they told me would be my daughter's birthday, but in tribute to her grandma  she was 5 days late.

My mom would have been proud. She was perpetually late. In her own words she was, "Always late but worth the wait". She was right.

I came home to a box of my grandmother's belongings that my uncle sent me.

I wept as I looked through its contents. Pictures, the family Bible and my Gram's collection of blown glass Christmas ornaments that I have adored since she got the first one.

I know this song is about a breakup, but truer words have never been spoken about how I feel today.

Alone and consumed by my loss.

Breakeven -The Script
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in
'Cause I got time while she got freedom
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven

Her best days will be some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
'Cause when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no
What am I suppose to do
When the best part of me was always you and
What am I suppose to say
When I'm all choked up and you're okay

I'm falling to pieces, yeah
I'm falling to pieces

They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
'Cause she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even, no

That's what friends are for

Now that song will be stuck in your head all day. You're welcome.

I know I already bragged about my girlie day and night out last week, but let me just reiterate how awesome it was to have a girls day with one of my best girls. I took a vacay day and drove up to Boston on Friday morning and picked up Darcy and her mom from the convention center and immediately went shopping! Darcy has the most amazing talent...I have never seen someone zip through racks like that. I simply watched in awe as she put together a bunch of outfits for me. I got a ton of stuff for cheap because we were shopping at Buffalo Exchange! I will definitely be going back. Not for a while though. Don't want the hubbs to freak about me doing any more shopping for a while. We did some touristy things like have lunch on Newbury Street, walk around Boston Common and Beacon Hill, which was fun since I have never done an official walk about Boston even though I have lived an hour away for 5 years.

Now don't laugh at the picture of us. My weird expression was due to the sunlight glaring directly into my eyes and the wind blowing my hair and shirt all around. Oh, and doesn't everyone take a picture of their new haircut in the mirror of a restaurant bathroom? Just me? Ok. I'm fine with that.

We went to dinner at the restaurant where my BIL is the Sous-chef and had a 9 course dinner. Well, we signed up for the 6 course Chef's tasting, but somehow they kept bringing us more food. I left there needing to unbutton my pants just to breathe. The food was way out of my normal comfort zone, but I was so proud of myself for trying everything (except the sea urchin which I have tried before and hated) that they brought out! If you've known me as long as Darcy has, you would understand what a great feat this was! We weebled ourselves back to the hotel, had a cocktail while getting ready and then went to the club in the basement of the hotel. Yes, I said a club. I can't even tell you how long it has been since the last time I've been to a club. I am way too old for this hoopla! After seeing some of the happenings in this place, it makes me extremely happy to be a married woman and not having to deal with that hot mess any more. We did have a great time though. We drank a considerable amount and danced until our sides hurt. We went back to our room and talked for another two hours...the way only great friends that have been friends for 17 years can. I'm pretty sure we didn't even end our conversation but rather fell asleep mid sentence.

After coming home Saturday morning and hanging out with the kiddies we were of to see Dane Cook. Oh good lawd, I love that boy. It was awesome and we had amazing seats.

If it weren't for that little thing called Daylight Saving time (and no, there is not supposed to be an s at the end of saving), the weekend would have been perfect. Although, it was kind of cool watching the clock turn from 1:59 am to 1:00am again. Yes, I was up...driving back from Boston! Darcy is back home and I miss her already! Life-long friends are simply awesome.

Menu Planning Monday...on Tuesday

I planned Sunday and went shopping, but I was exhausted from my awesome weekend so I didn't get the post up. Better Late than never I always say....but I'm a procrastinator.

Sunday: Walnut crusted chicken cutlets with white bean mash & asparagus (This was a big hit! The only thing I will change for next time is I will either add a bit more chicken broth to the mash or I will puree half a can of the beans with some broth and mix it in.)

Monday: Turkey Burgers and sweet potato fries (I broke my own rule and bought ground turkey breast instead of just lean ground turkey. The burgers weren't as tasty and they were a bit drier than I like them. Next time I will follow my own advice!)

Tuesday: Roasted Salmon with Maple Glaze and broccoli (recipe to follow after I make it and, you  know, take pictures!)

Wednesday: Braised Paprika Chicken with brown rice

Thursday: Shrimp, Spinach and Mushroom barley

Friday: Turkey meatball soup (from Deceptively Delicious. We'll see how delicious it really is.)

Random Ramblings

The only time Thursday is better than Friday, is when it IS your Friday! Yay for 3 day weekends! I am actually stoked to be taking a whole vacation day just to myself tomorrow. I get to go to Boston and hang with one of my best friends and couldn't be more excited. I get to get a pedicure and go shopping in Boston with someone wayyyy more fashionable than me to help me find some clothes. She is really like my own little Stacy London! To top it off I get to have a grown up dinner, in a restaurant that doesn't serve chicken nuggets, go out on the town and stay the night before returning to my crazy home. Ahh, can you say sleeping in?? Yes! {Insert Happy Dance} But that's not all...wait for it...wait for it...Saturday night I get to go see Dane Cook! This weekend is shaping up just fabulously! I'm hoping the crappy rain lets up, because I just got my hair done and well, come on!!! For all of you wondering, I chickened out and didn't cut my hair off or even get bangs. I just cut about 4 inches and did some layers. I am no fun at all. Seriously. I need to stop worrying about what everyone else {cough, hubby, cough} wants me to do with my hair and just do what I want. It grows back right?? If you can't cut it or dye it, why have it? I have been working out again consistently for 3 weeks now. It feels so much better and I have a lot more energy. I am doing the c25K (couch to 5K) program. While I wasn't exactly at couch level to start with, it is helping me build my endurance running so I don't get discouraged. I have also been doing Zumba for the last 4 weeks and I love it! It is so much fun! I still have this far fetched goal of getting back into one certain pair of pants. I need to get back into those pants. I will get back into those pants. So let it be written, so let it be done. :o)

Here's the new hair. i still think i should have chopped it to where that first chunky layer is. Grrr....

Halloween 2010

I love them "To Infinity and Beyond"! Nate chose Toy Story as the theme for this Halloween and, since the baby is too young to have an opinion, they were a super cute matching pair as Buzz Lightyear and one of the little aliens!

Nate's costume was perfect as is. Unfortunately, Arielle's costume was ridiculous! It was supposed to be a 12-18 month size and, I know I have a little chubster on my hands, but she was quite literally busting out of the costume. Then there was the head piece that could fit an adult! I had to perform emergency surgery on it to make it somewhat fit! I took over an inch out of the back to make it smaller, folded the part above the eyes up so she could see and had to take an inch and a half out of the neck part where the velcro was. I don't think they even tried this costume on a real child before they mass produced it! Luckily I have mad sewing skillz (wouldn't have the same effect with an s, besides, I'm cool like that) or we may have had to scrap it all together.

I cut a rocket shape out of a silver Nordstrom box (Thanks again honey for my awesome new winter coat!) and stuck it on the stroller. Too bad it was so freezing out that She only made it a block before I decided it was too cold for her. The hubbs took her back to our friend's house and hung out while the rest of us continued on with the trick or treating!

Nate loves going with his cousin! Last year they went as Batman and Batgirl and it was too cute! The most difficult part of the evening was hearing my self yelling, "NO RUNNING!!!!!" eleventy billion times. Man this kid must be deaf or just have selective listening when it comes to my voice. He fell down one set of steps and two other times because he was rushing around. Luckily no major injuries happened and he made it back in one piece.

I will leave you with one last photo from a birthday party we went to on Saturday. We borrowed this costume for the baby and Nate wore a transformer one we bought for dress up last year because I didn't want Nate to ruin his white Buzz Lightyear one with cake and God knows what else. Oh I die she looked so stinkin cute!

Happy Halloween!!

Food for Thought- Killer Shrimp

Let me start this recipe by saying you NEED to make these shrimp. They are so simple and delicious. Our whole family loves them, including Natey. I usually serve them with some grilled (or broiled in the fall and winter) asparagus and rice of some kind. You can cook them on the grill or in the oven. They are equally delicious either way!

Killer Shrimp
Shell on Shrimp (fresh or frozen) size U21-25 are good
1 lemon
2-3 sprigs of Rosemary
3 cloves of garlic
pinch of kosher salt
pepper
1/4 tsp. (or more depending on how spicy you want it) red pepper flakes
3 tbs olive oil

Rip off a huge piece of tin foil. If you have the heavy duty kind it is better. Decide how many shrimp you want per person. These are so good I always make 8-9 per person or 5 for Nate.

Put thawed or fresh shrimp in the middle of the tin foil.
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice out of both sides onto the shrimp.
Cut a few pieces of the spent lemon (rind on) and toss them on top.
Break the rosemary sprigs in half and toss them in.
Take 3 whole cloves of garlic and give them a whack with the side of your chef knife to remove the peel and toss them in whole.

There seems to be a lot of tossing going on, but bear with me.

I use kosher salt. I keep it in a bowl next to the stove so I don't have an exact measurement for this, but take a pinch of salt and sprinkle it over the shrimp.
I also use a pepper grinder, so I just grind the pepper on until I see that it is even covering the shrimp.
Sprinkle 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes onto the shrimp. You could also put a whole hot pepper in if you want it spicy. I would LOVE to do this, but Nate needs to eat too!
Drizzle 2-3 tbs (depending on how much shrimp you used) of olive oil over contents.
Use your hands to combine all ingredients so that everything is equally coated.

To wrap the package up, bring the long sides together and roll or fold the two pieces so they stay together. Fold the ends like a present (I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of this part!) until you have a nice tight package. Take another piece of tin foil and put the packet, seam side down, onto the new piece of foil and repeat.

Put the packet in the oven at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes, flipping the packet over half way through.
When you open it up it should look like this!

 If you want to be a total copy cat, or just like asparagus, you can make this with it as well. Wash your asparagus and break the woody part of the stem off of the bottom. A good trick is to hold the end of the asparagus in one hand and midpoint in the other and bend. Where it snaps off is usually good. Put them in a pyrex baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, salt pepper and pepper flakes if you'd like and put them under a broiler on high for 6-8 minutes. Watch them every few minutes and you can shake them around in the dish so they cook evenly.

 Make a box of Rice-a-Roni, because not everything needs to be homemade, and you have a meal!

Bon appetit!

32 and counting

Today I turn 32. I'm not afraid to say it. What is with people and not wanting others to know how old you are? In honor of being alive for 32 years, I will share 32 random things about myself. Hold your applause until the end.

1. If I had to choose my last meal on Earth, I'd eat lobster and drink sangria until I passed out.
2. I never drank coffee until I moved to Rhode Island 5 years ago. Now I can't live without it.
3. I can never turn my brain off during a massage. I try to think of nothing but it doesn't work.
4. I like mint and love chocolate. I can't stand the combined taste.
5. If I were filthy rich, I would have my hair blown dry twice a week.
6. My favorite color is green and has been since I was 2 years old. Coincidentally it'sNate's favorite color as well.
7. When I was pregnant with Nate I wanted a girl so bad, but knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that he was a boy.
8. I got kicked off of the volleyball team on my 16th birthday and 2 of the girls that got me kicked off had the nerve to show up at my party.
9. I want so bad to be fashionable, but can't figure it out. I would welcome a "What NOT to Wear" intervention.
10. I regret only 2 things I have done in my life.
11. I love high heels, but I only own 3 pair since I can't stand to be uncomfortable.
12. My first car was a 67 rag top VW bug. Powder blue and pretty. It broke down the day I got it.
13. I've been in 2 car accidents that could have killed me but I didn't get so much as a scratch.
14. I've only had 4 different jobs in my life. I've waited tables, worked at a ski resort, was a graduate teaching assistant and my current job at a biopharmaceutical company.
15. My favorite movie is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The original.
16. I am superstitious only when it comes to things involving the number 6.
17. I have hit 6 Royal Flushes in my life.
18. I lived in Las Vegas for 4 years while getting my Master's degree.
19. I lost my mother at 23 years old. I lost half of my heart that day.
20. My oldest friend and I have been friends for 19 years. 
21. I hate socks. I would never wear them if my feet didn't get cold.
22. I love getting any mail that is not bills. A simple card makes my whole week.
23. I have 4 friends that I know, for sure, would bail me out of jail if I needed it. Make that 3, since at least one of them would probably be with me.
24.  At my heaviest I weighed 1 pound less than my final pregnancy weight with Nate. I lost 50 pounds by running.
25. I used to jump rope in the hallway at school when I'd get writers block as I wrote my thesis. I'm so uncoordinated that I had to put all of my focus into keeping going and would forget I was about to pull my hair out.
26. My name has been written in the snow at the peak of a mountain.
27. I always see the clock when it is 10:27 (Duh, my birthday).
28. I always make a wish on 11:11 and honestly believe in it.
29. I have been to Dennis Rodman's house in New Port Beach. (No idea if he still lives there)
30. I get the desire to cut my hair off every time my life gets stressful.
31.  I have always wanted to dye my hair blond, but probably never will.
32. My favorite place to go by myself is the beach, but I can't stand going with the kids. (Hopefully that change as they get older!)

There you have it! 32 bits of Kameron trivia. And now ya know.