Teething Monster

JMS is working on his two year molars...any takers? I had to peel him off of me on Saturday so I could go to work. Poor little guy. Eat a Popsicle for him. :)

Random Thoughts

So, in my family you must be careful of your "inside jokes" because those material items affiliated with the joke might just follow you to the grave. One of the many things that happened to my grandmother in her life was that she had to have stomach surgery because it flipped and got twisted up...much like what happens to dogs. Well, the running joke was that she ate a blue bunny a.k.a. Easter Peep the wrong way. I guess my sister will demonstrate for you below the right way vs. the wrong way. You are supposed to eat the ears first...and grandma apparently ate the face first. What other explanaition is there for her stomach doing what it did? Well, we also needed to teach JMS how to properly eat a blue bunny...so his photo follows. Oh, and yes, there are blue bunnies in her now deeply buried casket. Be careful of your inside jokes. :)
JMS demonstrates and expresses sensory delight!If you haven't tried it, crocheting is a great and therapeutic distraction for times like these. I made this toddler poncho for Zoe in about a day. Quick pattern: Size N hook, Chain 35, SC first row, Chain 2, DC approximately 15 rows and tie off. Make two rectangles and stitch together; each rectangle folds over one shoulder. Fringe is optional.

Last thought for the night. Grandpa is teaching JMS how to dig for buried treasure. Apparently Grandma's flower pots grow pennies. :)

And...stay tuned for this beauty's graduation from USMA on 5/23/09. If you ever need an emotional boost...call her phone and she'll call you Ma'am or Sir. Haha...it makes me smile everytime.

Be sure to check out Kim's blog and guess at what this child hood thing is/was that she wanted oh so much...that her hubby finally got for her. She won't tell us until people guess.

Thank You

We buried my grandmother today. I'd like to thank everyone that sent cards, flowers, and/or prayers. I'd like to thank my cousin Jennifer for watching JMS and knowing that raising a good happy child is possible.

It was a long day for my grandfather. We started with a 10:30am visitation (wake) at the church, followed by a 12:00 noon Catholic mass. Then, we convoyed to the graveyard (about 6 miles) and buried her. I'd never been to the St. Joseph's (new) Cemetery. Then, we navigated our way back to the church for a lunch reception. By 3pm I know my husband and I needed a dose of Tylenol and a nap. So, when I heard grandpa say the same I knew it was time to go.

On the ride home I asked my husband what funny story he'd tell in my eulogy...and he said...how he thought Lobster would be the way I'd go...our first vacation together was to the Bahamas (trip c/o spring break dancing). I ate Lobster for the first time and got food poisoning. This is not recommended in a foreign country where all stores are closed on the day you are sick. We were in a hotel room no bigger than a 12 x 12 bedroom with only one bathroom, too. Man...he says, "if I can endure that..."OK, so I didn't think this story was very funny. So...friends...if he tries to use this story, tell him you've already heard it. :)

Dinner To Try

Dirty Rice...never heard of it, but they were making it on the food channel and I had similar ingredients. Key word here is SIMILAR. He he.

Kielbasa ......... I used Sweet Sausage
Brown Rice..........White Rice
Celery.....skipped it
Green Pepper.....Green Pepper
Garlic........Garlic
Onion........Onion
Thyme....Thyme
Chicken Stock........Chicken Stock

Brown up the meat and the Veggies...and then add the stock and rice and boil off the liquid. I added some salt and pepper and called it dinner. Mm mm.

What do I feed him?

So the question has been raised...what do I feed JMS? (since he is growing like a weed) Well, for breakfast it is usually 2-4 cups of milk...he likes to drink the stuff. Then apple slices / orange slices and maybe a waffle. On occasion he'll eat a bowl of cereal with milk for us.

For lunch...he's eaten grilled cheese, pizza, chicken nuggets, hamburgers, hot dogs, spaghetti, (never all at once) but usually it is fruit and only fruit with a cup of milk.

For dinner...again...he usually will eat his fruit...and his cup of milk....but everything else I listed above is bonus if we get him to eat it.

Snacks...maybe goldfish crackers, fruit strips, and graham cracker cookies. Again...if he slows down enough from playing to think about eating.

Never mention "juice" because he'll want 8 cups of "juice" and he'll never slow down. We made that mistake yesterday with Tang. He wanted to help in the kitchen, so I let him make the Tang...the rest of the day was like having a monkey in the house.

Rest In Peace

My maternal grandmother passed away tonight at 6:55pm. Please say a prayer. (JMS saw this photo and said, "Two um-mahs.")

Another bacon recipe

Yesterday I finally got myself a grill pan. So, naturally, I wanted to use it right away. On the packaging was a recipe that I decided to try. It wasn't very original, but I'd never done it before either. Bacon and Cheddar Cheese filled hamburgers....sound good?

Start by crisping bacon...okay, if you have a grill pan...don't do the bacon on it b/c I smoked myself out of my house.

Then, mix 1 lb. ground sirloin, salt, pepper, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and 2 Tbsp. minced onion. Break into four balls. Make a hole in the center of each and stuff with cheddar cheese and bacon bits. (I used the shredded cheddar and didn't have any issues, but they called for blocks of cheese. Using the shredded, I probably didn't get enough cheese into the burger.) Then cover over the stuffing with the meat and pat into burgers. (additional stuffers were jalapeno bits and scallions...but I didn't have any on hand)

Grill 6 min on each side. Mm mm....loved them! The recipe said to serve them on buns, but I just served them as patties with garlic smashed potatoes and sliced tomatoes on the side.