The Facebook Song

This is Ryan's cousin, a very gifted songwriter/musician.  I just love this song that he wrote about facebook.  I think it needs to go viral. :)  Enjoy!

Harvest Party

Wow, so are we almost done with Halloween? LOL.  Just today we went to Trick or Treat Street at the Wichita Children’s Theatre and a Harvest Party at Evangel Assembly of God.  Whew. . .I’m exhausted.  Olivia is loving it all this year, however, so it completely makes it worth it.  Although she has quite enough candy and it isn’t even Halloween yet.  It doesn’t help when I can’t seem to find a cake walk that I don’t win.  Maybe I should stop doing them, but they’re just so much fun!  Ha ha! Or maybe I should buy a lottery ticket instead.  Anyway, before I become completely delirious, here are some pics from tonight.

Wish I would have brushed my hair in this picture because Olivia looks adorable!

Her very first pony ride.

My Little Spot

Bat Girl and Spot

Ten Years

Before we get too caught up in Halloween and candy and costumes. . .I wanted to tell you how special this Halloween night is.  Ten years ago on Halloween, I was to meet Ryan over at his sister’s house.  When I got there, Ryan had not yet arrived.  I was told that he went to get ice which I didn’t think much about.  I remember Alex and Julia were a little over 1 year old.  That alone makes me feel old as they are in 6th grade now!  The doorbell rang and everyone was busy getting food ready and tending to Alex and Julia, so I went to the door.  A trick or treater, dressed all in black, stuck out a little skull bucket and I filled it with candy.  It was really really windy that night and I was ready to shut the door.  But, the trick or treater kept fiddling around with his bucket.  He then pulled out a ring box.  I then realized that Ryan WAS the trick or treater, on his knees like he always said he would be. 

These were the days before digital cameras, so I actually had to scan these.  LOL! 

We had only been dating about 6 months when we got engaged.  However, we had an almost 2 year engagement.  We got engaged 10-31-2001 and married 06-28-2003.  Ryan had three semesters of college to finish up at Kansas State.  After a year and a half of a long distance engagement. . .we were so ready to tie the knot.

         

I can’t believe ten years have passed since that fateful night.  We had no idea what the next ten years would hold.  They haven’t always been easy, but there’s no one else that I’d want to go through life with.   And if he showed up at my door on Halloween night, I’d marry him all over again. 

So good

The letter between the t and u on the laptop is broken, so I have to think of clever words to use instead of ones that contain that letter.  It makes a person think as it is hard to get around that.  Is it possible that Best Bu (dang it) can fix it?  W'e’ll see.

So, now on to what I was writing about.  I made these pretzel bites awhile ago and the pretzels were delicious!!  A must make!! 

http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=932

If you (hey I got my Y to work, sort of) love pretzels like I do, you will love these! 

Now, I’m off to get Olivia ready to go on her first trick or treating of the season. . .at daddy’s work.  She is soooo excited. 

It’s My Potty and I’ll Cry If I Want To

Olivia has a hard time using public restrooms.  If they are the least bit dirty or smelly or noisy, she will scream and cry and refuse to go potty.  She hates toilets flushing and the sound of  hand dryers.  I was anxious last Saturday because we were going to a soccer game followed by the pumpkin patch and I didn’t know where Olivia would go potty.  We stopped at a grocery store on the way to the pumpkin patch to see if she’d go potty, but that bathroom was unacceptable to her.  At this point, I’m stressing because it would be hours before we got home.  And then I learned that porta-potties are completely acceptable to Olivia and she had no problem using them at the pumpkin patch.  I have problems using porta-potties, but they apparently passed Olivia’s test!  She loved the “outdoor potties"!”  I’m pretty sure it’s because they don’t flush.  I don’t know what else she could possibly find appealing about them. 

Sunday, October 23, 2011

So, I thought I’d share my new recipes for the week.  My tilapia was a bust.  Honestly, I took one bite and almost gagged.  My husband ate his and said it wasn’t bad, but I think he was just being nice.  Either that or I just really don’t like fish or paprika.  So, I won’t be sharing that recipe.  But, if anyone has a good recipe for tilapia, please share.  I’m determined to like it.

I also made these new baked potatoes this week.  They looked and sounded awesome to me, but I was a bit disappointed.  They were good, but not quite as good as I expected.  Definitely worth a try if you’re looking for a new spin on potatoes, though.

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/scalloped-hasselback-potatoes/

Olivia kept busy while I was cooking dinner tonight.  Hey, at least someone is finding a use for my spices.  Ha!

Not sure what I’m going to make next, but I’m looking forward to some parmesan pretzel bites and also baked french toast.  Hoping I’ll have better luck with those. 

AppleJack Pumpkin Patch

We had a great afternoon at the pumpkin patch.  This is the fourth year that we’ve gone and the first year that Olivia has really truly enjoyed it! 

The first thing she HAD to do was jump on the giant pillow!

Then, she slid down the big slide. . .all by herself!

Next up was the train.  This was the first year that she rode it!

Choo Choo!

We had a lot of fun in the corn maze.

And had to stop for pictures!

She loved the teeter totters.

More slides!

This is how Olivia rides tricycles.  LOL!  We can’t get her to use the pedals.  She is almost, however, a little too short to reach.

But, is growing taller every year!  What a great afternoon we had as a family! 

To see our adventures from previous years, go to:

http://oliviaandlogan.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-10-17T20%3A37%3A00-05%3A00

http://oliviaandlogan.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-10-21T17%3A23%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=20&reverse-paginate=true

Halloween Preview

My Daughter, The Helper

Olivia is at the stage right now that she wants to help with everything and she actually can!  Yesterday, she helped me clean all the bathrooms and then begged to clean the bathrooms again today.  While I was putting the laundry away, she wanted to help so I told her to put daddy’s socks in his sock drawer, mommy’s socks in her sock drawer, etc.  I went into the bedroom expecting to see everything in the wrong place, but it was all exactly where it should be.  Then, she wanted to help some more, but all I had left were clothes to hang up.  So, I told her to go into mom and dad’s closet and put all the jeans in the laundry basket.  Then, I got busy finishing up the laundry and wasn’t really paying attention to what she was doing.  She walked up to me and said, “The jeans are washing!”  Olivia had not only put all the jeans into the laundry basket, but she pushed it all the way to the laundry room, put the jeans in the washer and started it.  The only thing she didn’t do was put in the soap because she couldn’t reach it in the cabinet.  I was in awe.  I think this girl is going to start earning an allowance!

She also sat through her very first full length movie at home.  A movie rarely keeps her interest past 15-30 minutes, but she LOVED Charlotte’s Web.  We watched it again today and she fell asleep during the last 10 minutes.  This hardly ever happens either because she doesn’t sit down long enough to fall asleep.  She is even snuggling up with me to watch it, which I am thoroughly enjoying!!  I’m loving this stage.

Tuesday, November 18, 2011

This afternoon after I cleaned up lunch, the house got mysteriously quiet.  I peeked into Olivia’s room and this is what I found.  Can you even find Olivia in there?  It took me by surprise because 1) Olivia doesn’t normally go in and take a nap and 2) she doesn’t let the cats sleep with her (although they always want to.) 

Then, I had to wake her up because we had an appt with a surgeon today.  Olivia is having a keloid cyst removed on November 3rd.  I’m soooo not looking forward to it, but it needs to be done.  It is a result of her 105 days in the NICU.  Keloids are formations of scar tissue that grow because the body over-defends itself as a result of trauma or surgical incisions.  The problem is that with surgery, you are creating more skin trauma and another surgical incision so the chances that it can grow back are great.  However, when caught in early stages, steroids can sometimes be used to get rid of them.  It is a fairly simple procedure, but because of her age, it will have to be done under anesthesia at a hospital which makes it a bigger deal.  And I just hate that she has to undergo any more surgeries as she has another eye surgery in the future as well.  So, please say a prayer for her and her doctor and nurses (and parents.) Pray that her surgery will go well, her healing will be swift and that it will not grow back.

End of An Era

It was a couple of months ago when I noticed that Gogum no longer slept in Olivia’s bed.  After two years of being her constant companion, he became just another one of her toys.  Even more surprising was when Lily no longer went everywhere with her.  Now, she no longer sleeps with her either.  It’s kinda sad actually because they were her very first favorites. 

These are now her inseperables: Little Lily, Newt and Little Sister.  They go everywhere with her! 

You’d think green was her favorite color, but she’ll be the first to tell you that it’s not.  Red and pink are her favorite colors.  I don’t know how many times a day I hear, “But, blue (or yellow or green) is NOT my favorite color.”  Somedays she won’t even wear jeans because they are not her favorite color.  Haha!  I love discovering her interests, likes and dislikes.

Recipe of the week

So, tonight I tried my new recipe(s) of the week: Meatloaf muffins and cauliflower mashed potatoes.  I have two meatloaf recipes that I alternate between and this new meatloaf recipe became Ryan’s new favorite.  Olivia only took one bite of it, but that is nothing new.  The cauliflower mashed potatoes received mixed reviews.  They looked like mashed potatoes, smelled like mashed potatoes, but still had a cauliflower taste.  I really dislike cauliflower, however, I did not think they were all that bad.  Super healthy and way more diabetic friendly than mashed potatoes.  So, I’ll probably make them again. 

Here are the links to the recipes:

http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/09/meatloaf-muffins/

http://www.bubblecrumb.com/2011/07/25/cauliflower-mashed-potatoes/

Next week?  A new tilapia recipe.  With only 2.6 g of carbs and 23 g of protein, it’s a diabetic’s perfect food. 

Happy Birthday, Madison!

Today, we helped celebrate Madison’s birthday!  It’s been a joy watching her and Olivia’s friendship grow!  Happy 3rd birthday sweet girl!

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Hula Hoop

My niece, Izzy, is crazy good at the hula hoop.  She can even hula hoop, walk and sing at the same time.  I've learned that hula hooping is NOT the same as riding a bike as it is a skill you lose when you get older.  I used to be able to hula hoop really well.  I remember even going for the Guiness Book of World Records on the hula hoop. (I seem to remember also trying to break the record for longest time on a pogo stick.)  LOL!  Now, I can't get the hula hoop to stay on my hips for more than a second.  Any adults at there who can still hula hoop?  Izzy, I expect you to still be able to do this 30 years from now.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Olivia missed school this week because she kept saying she was sick (she did have a bit of a cough.)  I thought she was pulling my leg to get out of going to school, but poor girl is losing her voice and her cough is getting worse.  I think she is sick once again.  She even missed her trip to the pumpkin patch today with her preschool class.  Then my kitty, Kelsey, (who had her spay surgery on Monday) started bleeding from her incision yesterday.  So, the vet requested that we keep her contained.  She’s had to stay in the bathroom downstairs since yesterday afternoon.  She just cries and cries down there by herself.  When I went in to check on her tonight, she was bleeding again and her sutures look like they’ve opened a bit.  I’ll be calling the vet again tomorrow morning.  We never had any problems when Autumn was spayed.  This has just been awful.  Hopefully, I don’t have to take Olivia to the doctor and Kelsey to the vet in the same day.  Good grief.  And we have a busy busy weekend ahead of us!

Best Friends Forever

Food For Thought

I won’t lie. . .I do not enjoy cooking.  I don’t find it relaxing or therapeutic or exciting.  I’m not a bad cook (ask my husband!)  It just seems like such a chore to me.  It doesn’t help that I have high blood sugar and most food that I like raises my blood sugar and puts me in an almost comatose like state.  And, my daughter is not a good eater.  She’s not necessarily a picky eater as she’ll try almost anything, but she eats two bites and she’s done.  So, I’m on a mission to change all of that and try to find some joy in cooking (as well as eat healthier and better manage my blood sugar.)  Olivia is always interested in helping me cook and I thought that if we did it together it would be more fun AND maybe she’d want to eat more of what SHE helped make.  So, every week we are putting together an entire menu including fruits and vegetables with every meal.  And, every week I am trying one new recipe.  If it turns out good. . .I will share it with you. 

So, the first one I tried?  Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings!

Yum!  It was delicious and I highly recommend.  Here is the link to the recipe.  Not very diabetic friendly, but I have to take this one step at a time.

http://www.bubblecrumb.com/2010/02/14/crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/ 

On the menu for this week?  Muffin tin meatloaf and cauliflower mashed potatoes.

My Thoughts On Cooking:

I only have a kitchen because it came with the house.

I read recipes the same way I read science fiction.  I get to the end and I think, “Well, that’s not going to happen.”

I made my favorite thing for dinner. . .a reservation.

I love a man with dishpan hands!

The only self-cleaning thing in this kitchen is the cat!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Busy busy day today.  Ryan was off for Columbus Day, so we decided to declutter and reorganize the storage room.  Wow, we had a lot of stuff and I’ll admit (other than Olivia’s clothes and toys) it was mostly mine.  I have a habit of keeping everything.  Some of our findings?  A box of brand new towels (wedding gift, I think) a big box of my old purses, two ice cream makers, my old Sega Game Gear, and every syllabus, folder and assignment I ever did in college. 

This is what we had to contend with.  We have a huge storage room in the basement.  Sometimes, however, when you have a lot of room you don’t take the time to really organize it because you don’t have to.  We just got in the habit of tossing things in there and it was in desperate need of re-organization.  It was actually quite cleansing to get rid of stuff.

The best thing I found?  My bunny poster!  It hung in my room throughout childhood and reminded me to become the best person I could be.  It says: What you are is God’s gift to you.  What you become is your gift to God.  I thought it was lost forever.  It’s now hanging in Olivia’s room.

Kelsey also had her spay surgery today. . .poor baby.  She is just not doing very well tonight.  I don’t remember Autumn being so sad and tired after her surgery.  I was getting ready to hang up clothes from the dryer when she found a nice warm spot to lay.  I didn’t have the heart to move her.  Hopefully, she’ll bounce back soon!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

I had a wonderful day yesterday.  Olivia was so excited to have her two best friends over to play.  And, as much fun as they had (which was oodles and oodles of fun) I think us mommies had even more fun. 

It’s so important as a mom to have amazing friends.  You know, as much as blogging helps us and connects us with other moms. . .I believe it also harms us.  Nobody ever mentions the not so good sides of motherhood on their blogs.  This leads others to believe that they are alone on this motherhood journey and no one else endures tantrums or suffers with depression or feels inadequate at times.  That’s where friendships really shine.  To be able to share the least attractive and the most embarrassing stories about you and have someone say, “That’s okay. . .I still love you,” is what true friendship is all about.  To be lifted up and reminded of your own unique and worthy qualities is sometimes just what you need.  It sure was just what I needed yesterday.  My wish for all of you is that you have that kind of friend and that kind of spouse.  . .who constantly remind you that you are special regardless of any shortcomings that others may think you have.   Let’s build each other up rather than tear each other down and celebrate all of the different kinds of wonderful mothers in the world.