Just Friends

Mason-Do you call me your roommate when you talk to people about me?
Me-Ummmm. No. I call you my son, my pride, my joy, my mess maker, my annoyance, my darling, my precious...
Mason-Oh, because like that's what I call you and John. Say the phone rings and it's you. If my friends ask who it is, I say my roomie.

oh.

Tween Love

We were driving to football practice the other day and a Rhiana song came on. It is one of her newer releases. Mason says he likes it. I agree. It's got kind of an 80's throwback feel. Then he says it brings back good memories. Again, it's only been on the radio a few weeks. I take the bait and ask what memories it brings back. He proceeds to tell me that the dance team performed to it during lunch the previous week. "They're pretty," he states in complete admiration. Middle school.

Heard and Said

Hadley

• My uncle from Texas who is a true cowboy, kissed her goodbye on the cheek. Her response, "Why do cowboys always lay on me?" This is slightly alarming but also funny.
• She was referring to bar-b-q sauce, but was calling it "fire mustard". It took us a minute to figure it out.
• She's ending sentences with "or not?" and "or something".

Charley

• mess

Mason

• "Why are you wearing that to my game?"

Football Hero

Mason's football season has been a blast to watch this season. They made it to the final four out of 42 teams. I was so  proud of them and happy that Mason was able to have this experience. On Tuesday we went to the Final Four playoff game. It was a long drive with a screaming one year old, but we did it! The game was close but was a loss in the end. The boys were really bummed. There were lots of tears, but my boy was strong! There was a collision at the end that left him a little shook up, but he battled through. By the time we got to the car, he was ready to joke. He really does have a good sense of humor. I love that he's learning to see the humor in things that aren't really that funny.
We were comparing last season to this season and basically the records were reversed. They won two last season and lost two this season. We were having that "talk" about losing building character and preparing you for times in your life when you won't "win", how important it is to show strong and honest character, character is the fabric of your life, character, character, character. He said, "Well, if that's true, after last season, I should be in a book!" Love that my boy combines literature and sports!

Heard and Said

Hadley

• Can I watch Care Bears? I'll be your best friend.
• Kyle is my best friend. A little.
• As we are making peanut butter bars: "Are you going to add armadillo to these?" After she asked me 103 times, I realized she was calling vanilla, armadillo.
• That doesn't make any sense.
• Can we go to a Huskie dog game on Friday?
• What is it time? 20 Seven o'clock?

 Charley

• Haddy!
• dog
• baby
• shoe!

Be Still My Feet

Source: weheartit.com via Amber on Pinterest

Fails.

1. Dinner-meat was raw, veggies lukewarm, no carbs, Charley threw up on her plate.
2. Legs-have been diagnosed with anterior shin splints. This is the root of my leg pain. Been icing them like crazy. Gave myself a patch of frostbite.
3. Chores-can't keep up.

Picasso or Out of Control?

Last week while I was cooking dinner, Hadley went outside with Mason and his buddies. They were all right in front of the house. I assumed he was watching her closely like I asked him to do. I'm not sure why I would assume something so out of control. I'm not a rookie, but I did. So, Mason brings a screaming Hadley into the house. Her knee was scraped and bleeding. I figured this warranted the crying, but again, no. She was crying because Mason yelled at her (and while crying she fell down). Why was he yelling? She took a rock to a BMW SUV parked in front of our house. She drew vertical zig zags for about a foot on the side of the vehicle above the tire. I was MORTIFIED. She got in trouble again. We wrote a note and placed it on the car's windshield. A few days later I got an email from the owner. She was insanely nice calling my little lovely a future Picasso and saying not to worry one bit. I was stunned. This kind of neighborly karma doesn't occur too often. I'm thankful for honestly and forgiveness!

Southern Living: Shrimp And Grits

This recipe is super yummy. It made a mess or I did rather. Lots of pans and bowls, but worth it. I used white onion instead of green because that's what I had on hand. I cooked them with the garlic in oil before adding shrimp. Light enough to leave room for dessert. Ben & Jerry Fro Yo for me.

Southern Living: Shrimp And Grits

Daddy Duty

John has daddy duty at night. He does baths (with my help because with two it is seriously impossible), brushes teeth, gets pajamas, and reads stories. I really love that he spends this time with the girls because I think it is so important for them to have one on one time with their daddy. It is just different than being with me. It seems more special when they get daddy-daughter time. Also it gives me a few minutes to get some other things done so I can go to sleep myself! I'm never far behind them when it comes to bed time. Charley is not overly interested in books, but she is getting better. Books with dogs in them seem to keep her attention for like 3 seconds, so that's an improvement.

Last night two special things happened during Baths, Books, and Bed time.

1. I had to settle a dispute over whether an ! is in fact an i or not. Hadley was literally crying because John told her this ! is an exclamation point, but she thinks it is an i. She was not convinced when I tried to confirm his fact. She adamantly claimed that ! is an i. She was not caving.

2. Charley pooped in her closet. Without a diaper on.

Lil' Punkins

Today was the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. To be quite frank, John and I were really resistant. We've had a busy weekend with football and fall fests and running (the exercise) and running (the errands). That said, I was feeling guilty about not taking them even before we had made a final decision for or against. Also, Mason was opting out of going this year as he thinks he's too grown for a good ol' hayride and punkin' pickin'. This was a reminder that soon enough no one will want to go to the patch, and John and I will drive up to Harris Teeter and get one on sale while we're getting booze and fiber. So, off we go. A trip to the pumpkin patch includes a hayride, a petting zoo of farm animals, picking a pumpkin, and apple cider. It is actually super fall fun.
The petting zoo was a serious riot to Charley. I can't describe the noise she made to every animal. It was like a happy, shrill, yoga ommm.This is the face she made when she did the noise.

Hadley so badly wanted to ride every little goat and cow. We were the last ones to get back on the hayride. I had to drag a screaming Hadley away from the baby goat.

I'm not sure where they get this animal love. It ain't from me. Avery was not impressed. She wanted to go straight to the vegetation. That's my girl.

Moral of the story: we had a great time. Time goes by too fast. It cost too much money, and we could have gotten a bunch of other stuff done (like clean the wretched bathrooms. curses.), but making memories is much better.

Half Dead Chivalry and Full Stocked Pantry

Part A
Yesterday I got a text from John asking me to prepare the house for overnight guests if possible. He asked very nicely, but I just could not manage to leave a staff meeting after a school day, go to the grocery store, pick up the girls, make dinner, wash and dry the sheets, make the bed, and clean the bathroom before 6:30. I also was on stand by in case Mase needed a ride to football practice. I did agree to make dinner. That seemed doable. It seemed more doable before I got to my car and found that the battery was dead. After asking two gentlemen for help, our school ROTC teacher assisted me with getting the car jumped. So, he was the THIRD man I asked to help me. Needless to say, I was afraid that turning the car off to go into the grocery store would result in me flagging down a stranger for another jump, and based on the 1 out of 3 odds I'd just encountered, I wasn't too confident.

Part B
This led to creating a dinner from my well-stocked pantry. I try to keep essentials on hand: canned tomatoes and sauce, noodles, frozen veggies, frozen chicken, and canned soups and beans are always on my pantry shelves. I don't like being without key ingredients for whipping up a creative yet makeshift meal when in a pinch.  I ended up having the goods to make a recipe that my family has been making for 15 years. It originally came from a friend of our family, Miss Angie.

You'll need:
a box of spaghetti (I make the whole box and use about 3/4 of the cooked noodles)
2 jars of sauce
1 lb of hamburger meat
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/3 onion (chopped)
1/3 cup flour
1 can of evaporated milk
1 cup of  shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 shredded parm
2 tbs butter

Cook noodles according to package.
Brown the meat, onion, and garlic in a pan over med heat until browned.
Simmer tomato sauce and add drained, cooked meat. Continue to simmer.
Meanwhile make cheese sauce.
Melt butter and flour. Stir.
Add evaporated milk. Continue to stir over med heat until sauce is thickened.
Add cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted into sauce.
Layer cheese sauce, tomato/meat sauce, and noodles.
Bake for 25 at 350.
Served with bread and salad this is family classic. Glad I had the ingredients on hand.

Part C
My battery was dead again today after school. Again, I asked two men for help and only one was willing. Altogether  this means that less than half of males are gentlemen. I know John would always help a damsel in distress. I hope Mase will too.

P.S.
I made the chocolate pb cookies that use the yellow cake mix from an earlier post. They are super soft. I was happy with them and would make them again.

Let's Pretend

Right now Hadley is playing "grandma". Like one would play school or house. She is snuggled up on the couch with her blanket trying to go to sleep, and Charley is tormenting her. Hadley keeps saying to Charley, "Grandma is trying to go to sleep!" Earlier "Grandma" had to go to the doctor which consisted of Hadley packing up her purse and traveling to the stairs where she sat at the bottom waiting to be seen by the Grandma's doctor. This is the most boring game of imagination ever but equally entertaining for me. Charley apparently does not understand how to play Grandma. Unless she's playing the role of rambunctious grandchild which is plausible, I suppose.