okay, last thing...

The show with AM tomorrow is 9-10 a.m. (not 8-9 a.m.) I know you're all feverishly setting your DVRs, so I didn't want you to miss it!

Two plugs

I know, I know, twice in one weekend?! Who am I?

Anyway, this is a special edition, plugging two things happening this week. It's mostly for local folks, but out-of-towners can read on too!
1) AM, along with 3 of her little friends will be on our local ABC 33/40's morning show tomorrow (8-9 a.m.) modeling Christmas pjs from the best baby store in town, Once Upon a Time http://www.onceuponatimellc.com/. AM's pair is made by Hatley (see them here, http://www.hatleystore.com/department.aspx?deptid=222&RD=1) with an adorable appliqué from OUAT. She's done it once before, but it wasn't live. This time it is, so wish us luck!

2) This week is the Jr. League of Birmimgham's annual Market. Read more about it here, http://www.jlbonline.com/?nd=market. It's a fun, festive event, and the shopping is great. Retailers from all over the place coming together with their best merchandise under one roof. And tickets to the The Market support a good cause. Also, instead of being down at the BJCC, as in years past, this year The Market has moved to a shinier location, Cahaba Grand Conference Ctr, on Hwy 280.

Okay, enough promoting for one day!

Disney, Halloween, and Lasagna!

It's been a while since I posted, so this is a long one...

Favorite thing AM did this week

Okay so this is more of a favorite thing that we all did...last week marked our big, family trip to Disney. AM was great 99% of the whole time (just a few temper fits). She wasn't scared of anything (except maybe the characters up close, but they really are a little scary, no?). I think maybe she was a little too young to know to be scared of the ghosts in the Haunted Mansion. As for the movement rides, she loved Goofy's Barnstormer (the kid-sized roller coaster), which even Matthew and I thought was a little rough for a kid coaster.

AM's absolute favorites? Definitely the teacups which she had been discussing for months leading up to the trip (glad they didn't disappoint) and the Buzz Lightyear ride, which she refers to as "Buzz Buzz Right Here." Hilarious. She also loved the Spectro-Magic parade (that's the 21st century's version of the Electric Light Parade, for those of you born before 1990!). Oh, and she also loved the Disney bus. Here's a shot of that...

One more thing to say about Disney...this is the BEST time of year to go. Matthew and I waited 20 minutes to ride Thunder Mtn, and that was our longest wait all weekend. We did use Fast Passes for a few things at EPCOT, but I'm not sure it was completely necessary; the exception is maybe Soarin', which is still pretty new (and awesome). Also, our hotel was great (Saratoga Springs--a Disney property, close to Downtown Disney), and the food was even pretty good everywhere (Disney is not known for culinary experiences!).

Of course, AM just loved being there with so much to do, and so much attention from Mommy, Daddy, Grandmommy, and Grandad-o. And we all really liked it too. Matthew didn't want to leave!

Here are some more of our favorite pictures...

On Cinderella's Golden Carousel

Checking out Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride
With Daddy and Grandmommy on the famous Teacups.
Playing an energy game with Daddy at EPCOT's Spaceship Earth.

Tired kids and mommies in front of Cinderella's Castle.

Family shot in front of the castle.

Our trip coincided with Halloween, so we spent that evening with our good friends Tom & Robin, Megan & Chris, and their 1-year old, who all live in Orlando. We were joined by our friend Cindy, and her 2-year old, who live just a few hours away. So three toddlers trick-or-treating...it actually went pretty well. Here is a picture of our costumed kiddos: a pirate, a hamburger, and a spider...

And one of AM in the trick-or-treating process...

Favorite thing I saw this week

Christmas decorations! I know plenty of people complain about Christmas decor coming too close on the heals of Halloween, but I LOVE it. And I am quite unapologetic about it too. To add to my premature Christmas joy, I was thrilled to find that one of our local stations (Magic 96.5) has already begun their 24-hour Christmas music celebration. They used to only do holiday music on the weekends during November, but I guess Christmas fanatics like me convinced them it should be a 7 day/week thing for this month and next. Also, for those of you tuned in to Pandora online (Love this site..should blog about that later) they have special holiday personalized stations. So Christmas is already playing throughout my house...AM can already identify "Jingle Bells" and "Jingle Bell Rock," but I'm trying to steer her clear of the obnoxious "Santa Baby."

Favorite thing I read this week

I started reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. http://www.amazon.com/Guernsey-Literary-Potato-Society-Readers/dp/0385341008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258153160&sr=8-1. The best word for this book so far is charming! Even though it takes place in England (Guernsey and London) immediately following the devastation of WWII, it's surprisingly upbeat, and it moves very quickly. It definitely makes me want to stay on the bike at the gym just a bit longer!

Favorite thing I ate this week

I was craving (yes, I am in craving mode now) lasagna this week, but didn't really have a night when I would have the time to put it together, bake it, etc. SO, I found this recipe for slow-cooker lasagna, and it was great. Also, since I forgot to buy ricotta cheese, I omitted that, and we didn't miss it at all, making it ever-so-slightly healthier...

Slow-Cooker Lasagna
1 lb. ground round (or ground turkey)

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning (I improvised with my own mixture, probably used more than a tsp. worth)

1 (26 oz) jar of chunky garden-style pasta sauce (I used Ragu, and I am normally NOT a jarred sauce girl, but for something like this, it worked fine and made it all the easier)

1/3 cup water

8 uncooked lasagna noodles

Cooking spray

1 (4 1/2 oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, undrained (fresh work too, but you might need to add a few tsps of water)

1 (15 oz.) carton part-skim ricotta cheese (or not)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I probably used a little more)

Cook beef, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a skillet until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain, set aside.

Combine pasta sauce and water, set aside

Spray bottom and sides of slow cooker with cooking spray. Place 4 noodles on the bottom, breaking to fit. Layer with half each of beef mixture, pasta sauce mixture, and mushrooms. Spread ricotta cheese over mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining noodles, meat, pasta sauce mixture, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour.

Reduce to LOW and cook for 5 hours (Mine cooked faster than this, about 4 hours).

Easy, easy, easy!

Halloween, etc.

Favorite thing AM did this week

Last Friday we went to our local Boo at the Zoo with our friends the McDs for an early celebration of all things Halloween. AM was decked out in her hamburger costume, which she loves, her friend Q was a lion. Here are the adorable results. (Thanks to Natalie, who remembered her camera, unlike me!)

On the carousel, which goes backwards during Boo at the Zoo. Natalie and I had to sit this one out.

Having her Reese's Pieces treat!

After the hayride.

Favorite thing I watched this week

One more new show to tout this week, Modern Family. Okay, I watched the first episode of Modern Family a few weeks ago, and thought it was so-so. Seemed like it was trying too hard. But, you should never judge a sitcom by its pilot (a rule we should all observe). This week, I noticed that 3 episodes of Family had stacked up in the DVR, so I needed to take action. Matthew actually volunteered to watch an episode with me because he had read good things about it on, of all things, TiderInsider.com (the website for all things 'Bama). Well, we were laughing out loud. If you haven't watched an episode, we recommend #2 (about the bike), and #4 (which features, gasp!, Shelley Long of Cheers fame), which are available on http://www.abc.com/. In short, Modern Family is a little bit of Arrested Development (RIP, Bluth Family) and a little bit of The Office, but is definitely its own original show.

Favorite thing I read this week

AM informed me before bedtime one night this week that she wanted to read books from "up there." This refers to the shelf above her bed that holds the "nice books" (i.e. Mother Goose Treasury, A Light in the Attic, The Tales of Peter Rabbit, etc.). Without paying much attention to what I pulled down, I grabbed The Giving Tree. Ack, I forgot what a tearjerker that book is! Sweet? Most definitely! But I really had to go wipe my eyes after that storytime session. Needless to say, as much as I love this book, and its sweet message, The Giving Tree is back "up there."

Favorite thing I ate this week

Cookies. There's nothing better than a perfect cookie. A friend of mine and her husband have recently opened Icing on the Cookie, here in Bham. We sampled some of their beautiful cookies, and they are absolutely delicious too. Here is the website, www.icingonthecookie.net. Enjoy looking at the tons of fun patterns for various special occasions. They ship anywhere in the US, and for local orders they have a storefront right here in Homewood (Central Ave., right by my dentist's office, ironically). I had the chocolate chip, and let me tell you the package came with three large cookies. I ate one immediately, and hid the other two so no one else in the house would get to them. AM had a Roll Tide elephant, and ate the entire, gorgeous, frosted thing! She then proceeded to talk about her elephant cookie for several days. Can't wait for my next special occasion, so I can order some cookies!

Favorite thing AM did this week
We finally bit the bullet this week and converted AM's crib to a "toddler bed." Basically all this means is that the railing from one side of the crib is gone. But, to AM, this is a "big girl bed."
She did great the first 2 nights--went to sleep very fast in it, stayed in it all night, no tears. Last night I did hear her beating a path down the hall to our room at around 2am. She was soothed pretty fast though, and back to sleep within 10 minutes or so. Wish I could say the same for myself!

Favorite thing I watched this week
New shows continue to dominate my tv-time. Finally, this week brought the return of 30 Rock! It did not disappoint with an appearance by Steve Buschemi, and Tracy Jordan trying to get back in touch with his roots. Love him trying to talk to the custodian. This show deserves to win the Emmy every year.

Favorite thing read this week
Carl Hiaasen, who I briefly mentioned last week, is my current book obsession. We're not talking about any Pulitzer Prize literature here, but you can read his books fast, they are laugh-out-loud funny, and stocked with incredibly outlandish characters. I'm reading Skin Tight right now, but also recently finished Skinny Dip. Both hilarious and highly entertaining.
Also, in anticipation for our trip to Disney World, I've been perusing the local libraries for the best guidebooks. A few months back I checked out the one that lists the scare factors of all of the rides. But alas, it's now checked out when I need it most. This might call for a trip to Books-A-Million.

And now a new feature...
Favorite thing I ate this week
Let's face it, while pregnant, I am insatiable! Never full and always on the cusp of nausea--food seems to be the best cure. However, with this hunger comes great responsibility. So while pregnant (and perhaps beyond), I will pass along the best culinary treats I encounter each week.
This week, AM and I were running errands in Cahaba Heights. It was about 4pm, and we needed a snack, so we stopped in the new Yogurt Mountain. http://www.yogurtmountain.com/
This place is the BEST. Not only is the yogurt good, but it's all self-serve (or mommy-serve). You fill our own cup, choose your own toppings (everything from crushed oreos, fresh strawberries, whole pecans--my favorite), and then the cashiers weigh your cup. You pay 45¢/oz., and AM and I both got decent-sized servings for less than $5. We will definitely be back!

Wish us luck in our continued transition to the "big girl bed"!

I'm Back...But Where Have I Been?

There is no good reason for no blog entry in three (almost four) weeks, other than I am a bit tired. I can blame this on a cranky, anti-sleeping toddler. You can also read more about said tiredness in the "Favorite thing I read"section below.


Favorite Thing AM Did This Week


Well, my least favorite thing AM has done this week is just about completely stop taking a nap! Argh! This is not good. We are trying to implement "quiet time" in place of the nap, but she's not real big on sitting in one place. On to more positive things...


This morning AM picked her own clothes out for school. She chose her favorite skirt (or dress as she calls it) from her Aunt Ann, her pigeon shirt from Auntie d & Uncle Drew, her black cat Halloween socks (from Grandmommy), and brown and pink sneakers. Quite an ensemble...see evidence below.

I am not sure if we will continue to choose our own clothes before school, but if she does I have a feeling I will be washing this skirt and shirt a lot.



Favorite Thing I Watched This Week


Where to begin?! New shows! Returning shows! DVR capacity at 95%! Being a TV junkie, Fall is my favorite time of year. As for returning shows, The Office has not disappointed, and I am eagerly awaiting tonight's "Wedding" episode.


As for new shows, I have two favorites, The Middle and Cougar Town. I'm a sucker for a sitcom, what can I say. Below is a clip from Cougar Town, in which Jules, a 40-something, newly single, real estate agent has reluctantly agreed to go out on the town with her 20-something friends. The cell phone photo montage makes me laugh everytime. Say what you want to about Friends, Courteney Cox is a comic genius. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOK5H2y69BY



Favorite Thing I Read This Week


In addition to two (yes, two) highly amusing Carl Hiaasen books, I also happened to read the following...

That's two (yes, two) lines. And that equals pregnant. So it looks like AM will have a little sibling sometime next year (early May). Wish us lots of luck!

Fall is in the air...

Favorite thing AM did this week

For AM's birthday last month, we got her a life-size stuffed dog. She loves dogs, but our unfenced yard, and other factors (i.e. Daddy doesn't want one) prevent us from having one. We thought this would be a decent substitute, at least for a few years. Anyway, the pup is a Husky, and when we told AM this, she promptly named him "Busky."

I cannot tell you how much she loves Busky...she sleeps with him in her crib, talks to him, drags him around the house by his ears, and gets right in his face to say, "Busky, you're a good dog. I love you, Busky." Here are some pictures of her loving Busky:

Favorite thing I read this week

Fall is in the air, so that means new television shows are on the air. I eagerly read my Fall TV Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly to celebrate this exciting event. Next week starts most of the new shows, and my DVR is ready to go! The Office, 30 Rock, and How I Met Your Mother--oh, how I've missed you.

Favorite thing I saw this week

When driving AM to school today I saw a key sign of fall...literally. While sitting at a stop light, I saw at least four leaves fall from a nearby tree. And I don't think it was a sick tree--just a tree ready to embrace fall and forget the heat of summer. Hooray!