Saturday, September 19, 2009

Brendan is 3 months old

I did it! I am now a big three months old!

I have learned so much. How to smile. How to laugh.

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That everything goes in my mouth.

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How to wrap my family around my fingers, my cute chubby fingers.

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How to keep my parents up at night to play with me and then takes naps when I want them.

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I am growing big.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The Worst Parents

I have the worst parents!

They are so mean.

I cry and pout and they take pictures.

I want to feed, picked up and held.

But instead they stand above me and laugh.

How did they get their signals so crossed?

When my little lip is out fluttering that does not mean coo at me it means fix it my mean parents.

How can you let your baby here like this?

You are the worst!

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

How many fridges does a family of 5 need?

I had a dream last night that we had moved. That we had bought and were now living in our BIG house. It was not a mini mansion just a big house with a really big kitchen. When we bought our house we bought it with the intention of moving in 5 years. Stay here fix it up and build equity was the goal. It is a very affordable home and was then close to my husbands work.

But since then my husband does not work at that location anymore and I now work in where I have over an hour commute each way. Last week when I got stuck in traffic it took me 3 hours to get there. Thank God for an empty bladder and a full gas tank!

We are and have been quickly outgrowing this house. Now there are 5 of us here 6 is in the plans for the next year or two, I want 10-10-10, how cool would that be! One of my desperate wishes is a LARGE Humongous kitchen. Modern super high end appliances, lots of counter space tons of seating and large scale restaurant refrigerator and freezers.

We started out with a small hand me down very unenergy efficient fridge that my parents had spare. In fact we had to get it in the house before we could even close as a weird stipulation. We used it for a while till we SAVED up and payed cash for a new side by side stainless steel fridge. It was absolutely as big and wonderful we could get that would fit in the designated space. We were so happy and pleased for the cool look extra space and no more constant running.

As the kids got older we got a freezer. That was a great help. We could now store on sale items, chicken, beef, french fries, and we could store pizza. Frozen pizza does not always fit into a side by side.

But still we were constantly running out of room.

We had talked about getting a second fridge for a while but never really acted on it. With the labor day and back to school sales we finally acted on it.

Today on my husbands shopping list diapers, lunchables, and a new fridge. Yes we are getting the 2nd much needed fridge. It is another stainless steel fridge but is smaller and is an over under fridge/freezer. Freezer on top. What a luxury and convenience. I want to use it for the boys. So we can put there food drinks and ice cream in. Okay my ice cream too. But it will be even more energy efficient because we will now be opening the other one less keeping it cooler and running less.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Franklin County Chili Cook Off

This year the Franklin County Fair thought they would try something new... a chili cook off! Yeah! That is right up our ally. As a native Texan I love chili. My husband who also lived there got to experience what he calls chili like none other. He loves there style of chili. He makes it for me and my Dad, native Texan also, with such enthusiasm.

As a large extended family we love to go to chili cook offs. I have been going since I was a kid and think it is so much fun to take my parents and kids now that I am an adult. Every year at the beginning of winter we look forward to Ice fest. A great celebration that my family starts off with attending their chili cook off. Nothing warms you better than walking up and down the city's streets looking at the amazing ice sculptures after being warmed up by tons of competitors chilies. And each year we seam to take more people as my brother and niece came this year. Here is me and my then 3 year old sampling some of the best. I guess baby is sampling it too as he was still in my belly.

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At a local produce barn I grabbed a fair catalog. In it I saw an announcement. 1st annual Franklin County Fair chili cook off. I told my husband about it and immediately it was something he wanted to enter. I was excited he was so excited. He had made a new chili for us the week before and said that is the one I want to enter. That is the best Texas chili ever. With all that excitement I did not want to rain on his parade but his idea off chili is a bit different that the local Pennsylvanians ideas of chili.

As best and gently I tried to explain that to him. He understood SOMEWHAT. I also had to tell him that most people do not like to eat chili as hot as he does. He just can't seem to understand that one though. But in agreement with me he said he would chose to make a different chili.

Still he was excited. He wanted to use a secret ingredient, hard to find peppers we litterly traveled hours to buy and even had some shipped in from Texas (foreshadowing). Along with fresh daily picked peppers form his pepper garden. He thought with the fresh peppers and hard to find peppers and spices he had it in the bag.

Finally the day off the cook off came. In the weeks before his excitement had led to hundreds of dollars of purchases for this event and now not only could he show the county his culinary chili skills he could play with all the "toys" he had got for it. That he swears to me will be useful otherwise, and they do look great filling up the floor space in my house and shed. Utilitarian decorating. We now can whip out a bowl of chili in our shed, living room or kitchen anytime we want!

We got there in the morning, excited and nervous. Two vehicles, tons of gear, a growing number of kids we all unloaded and were eager to help. That was until the children saw the rides and animals. See ya honey! We will be back in time to try it and vote for you! So I along with his little sous chefs took off.

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He started cooking. The smells were entrancing. People were counting down the hours until it was time to taste it. At 4 it was that time. He ladled it out to many tasters. Even the kids and I came back.

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It was great! But I was surprised. Yup he had made a HOT chili that was very much like Texas chili. It did not have the heartiness of traditional chili. It was a good chili but still not the idea of what you would think of when you thought chili. I became nervous as to what the county would think. They liked it. But in the end they chose a traditional chili as first place.

However Jay won 2nd!!!!! Congratulations to the Jay.

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The boys were happy to see their dad up on stage receiving his award and check!

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We are all so proud of him. He left the competition happy but said next year I am going to make something that the masses want. Ah hum!?! And we can't wait to try it. Check out that beautiful not doctored up at all, really, Pennsylvanian sky. Beautiful.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

We are all smiles here

There is nothing more contagious than Brendan's smile. We call him smiley, for obvious reasons.

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Each morning we run down to him coo cuddle and smile at him. Then he smiles back! It never gets old and it is looked forward to everyday.

He smiles when he sees and hears his brothers. He could be fussy and a bit restless but then the touch of 2 adoring big brother turns it all around.

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They love to hold Brendan as much as he loves to be held. I smile because they do.

Up goes another

I wasn't sure when this would happen but it has started. The work on the new deck. It is going to be exactly the same but with the stairs moved across from the door. Jay and I wanted a big nice deck but since the house is getting ready to be sold we did a small what was there deck. Either way it is safer and nicer. And the kids had fun chasing each other on it.

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