Fall is coming....

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot



And in honor of the fall weather that seems to be upon us, tonight I'm making Corn Chowder for Josh and Reagan. I have several recipes for the same soup, so tonight we'll try version one and see what kind of reviews it gets! Corn Chowder Recipe Number One is below:

1 can cream of celery, reduced sodium
1 soup can of milk
1/2 cup picante sauce
1 can of corn (or frozen/fresh equivalent)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
4 bacon strips, crumbled
--cheese, green onions, additional picante sauce

In a saucepan, combine soup, milk, picante sauce, corn, chicken and bacon. Heat. Add toppings as desired. Serves 4.

I'll probably serve this with green beans (I have some fresh ones from the farmer's market) and whole wheat rolls.

Strawberry Mice

This is what Reagan had for lunch on Monday:




And here is the link. I will say she wasn't quite impressed with the mice...she looked at them like 'what the heck are these'....so much for impressing my 1 1/2 year old!

A lot to catch up on!

Wow! This has been a super busy past couple of days for us! The weather here is GORGEOUS and Reagan and I have been playing outside and walking quite a bit and just enjoying life.

Let's see! What new news? Pritsha (one of our furbabies) has suddenly taken a liking to Reagan. I don't know if it's the cooler weather or if it's the fact that she's finally used to her, but she leans into pets now and nuzzles on her, instead of hissing, swatting and generally being rude. I'm quite pleased by this development!

Reagan's vocabulary just keeps exploding. Every day she says 3-4 new words. I'm in constant awe--swimming pool and owl are just two new ones that I'm amazed at! Her comprehension is through the roof! We went around the house yesterday and I asked her to point out certain items...I can't believe how much she knows..and when I tell her to do something..she UNDERSTANDS!! (For the most part!).

She is even making jokes! JOKES! We were in the car the other day and she had something in her hand..I forget what it was..maybe a food item or a toy..and she kept putting it on her head and saying "Hat!!" and cracking up with laughter! Such a silly girl!

She is continuing to baby and doctor every animal and baby doll in sight. Grandma (Josh's mom) just got her a baby doll carriage and had a full carriage set made for it..adorable..and Reagan is having sooo much fun with it!

Her new favorite food is cheese, which she asks me for at least 15-20 times a day (not an exaggeration!!) and her 'thank yous' (takeooo) and pleases (peas) are getting more and more clear and common!

Here's a cute story from the other day:

so we were out and about today and stopped by barnes and noble. i took her and changed her the first time and saw that the men's room also had a changing table, so the next time she needed changing, i told josh to go change her.

while they were in there some man came in and passed gas REALLY loudly. josh said reagan kind of scrunched up her face like she was trying to remember what that sound meant, for a minute and then she yelled "phew! phew!" and continued to say it louder and louder and louder (because she liked the reverberation in the bathroom) until they left. 'PHEW!! PHEW!!'

i nearly choked to death i was laughing so hard when he came out and told me!!!

out of the mouth of babes....

Otherwise, we are just living life with all the normal things that come along with it...cooking, cleaning, playing and watching Pooh about twenty times a day...ok so maybe that isn't your normal routine, but for my Pooh obsessed toddler, it is!

One new note: I started Nutrisystem...today is my fourth day and I'm loving it! I've lost 4 lbs so far and the food is just incredible and I'm feeling good..albiet a little shaky from the sudden decrease in calories, but I'm sure I'll get used to that! If anyone is interested in joining, please email me or post a comment here and I'll be more than happy to get you a coupon (which will in turn get ME a coupon! WOOHOO!)

Everyone enjoy the rest of today! (Oh, and enjoy the new pics of Reagan too!)

Abortion

WARNING: Do not go to this site if you are ultra-sensitive. It does have graphic images.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/apr/05042504.html

This story is absolutely devestating. I can't believe they refused to help the mother and child that was clearly born alive...and worst of all..I can't believe the mother actually went in to abort a child..much less a child at 23 weeks gestation...when I have seen parents crying in the NICU, praying to God that their preterm baby makes it.

THIS IS SICKENING!!!!!!!! AND I AM FURIOUS!!! What kind of people are we in this country that we have so little value for life!??!!?!?!?! We don't deserve to be the greatest nation in the world...not when we have a large population of people who believe it is ok to murder the helpless.

Baby seals are protected. Eagles are protected. Hell, the damn polar bears are protected. BUT A HUMAN BABY IS NOT. WE ARE-- SICK HOPELESS DEVIOD OF ALL SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG-- PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Green Cat and Cheese

Today, my cats escaped. I didn't realize they were gone until I heard the creak of the screen door, which apparently had been open for some time. I immediately panicked and set out in search of the escaped convicts.

I didn't have to go far. There they were, right outside the door. Apparently Pritsha, my white and black cat, decided there was nothing quite like sunbathing on top of chalk, which Reagan and I had colored with earlier.

So, now I have a green cat. Yes, I'll post pictures later. As soon as Kodak stops acting crazy.

Now, you're wondering what this has to do with cheese right? Well, nothing. Just that I'm so proud of my baby girl for telling me exactly what she wanted for a snack--CHEESE! And yes, I have gone grocery shopping :)

Enjoy your beautiful day!

Making Do (and a cheese tostada recipe)

Ok. I confess, I have not been grocery shopping in roughly two weeks (I really dislike grocery shopping with a toddler because 30 minutes in to it, she's screaming!!)....which means there is barely anything to eat in this house. Add in the fact that I rarely buy premade foods anymore and some seriously creativity was needed in the meal and snack department! Here's what I came up with...and a valuable reminder that necessity is the motherhood of invention (wonder if invention ever refused to pick up his crayons??).

Breakfast: I managed to throw together some old fashioned oatmeal with butter and brown sugar and some blueberries that we picked about two weeks ago and froze.
Snack: Frozen blueberries and frozen green peas and cheese tostadas--more on that below
Lunch: One miraculously uncovered can of low-sodium Campbell's chicken noodle soup that managed to escape the great pantry clean up...and more of those yummy cheese tostadas!

Ok, here is what I did to make cheese tostadas:
I found some whole wheat pitas in the freezer, along with some shredded cheese. Simply cut the pita in half, toast in the toaster, then spread with (healthy--as in Brummel and Brown or Smart Balance!) butter and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Place in microwave for 30 seconds--long enough for the cheese to melt but not for the toastada to get yucky! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

All warm and gooey inside....

I just read that someone subscribes to my blog but usually never posts.....I feel all heart-warmy and happy that someone reads what I write...awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..thanks Shannon!!

The Great Crayon War

I could have picked up the crayons by myself in about 30 seconds. I could have. But I didn't. Instead I chose to battle it out with a my toddler.

"Reagan, pick up your crayons." She ignores me.
"Reagan, please pick up your crayons." Again, ignored.
"Reagan, please pick up your crayons from the floor and put them in your bucket." This I say thinking maybe she needs more specific instructions. Again, I am ignored.
"Reagan, if you don't pick up your crayons right now, you are going in time out." Ignored. We make our way to the bedroom for 1.5 minutes of time-out with Reagan howling the whole time. Discussion. This is why you were in time-out. Now, back to pick up the crayons. Repeat earlier scene...this time with a smack on the butt and time-out.

FINALLY....30 minutes and one burned dinner later, the crayons are up off the floor and I have a tear-stained toddler watching Pooh while I finally salvage what's left of our supper for the evening.

Toddlers....

Randomness....is that a word??

It's getting late and I haven't had much caffiene today..not to mention that my brain sometimes feels sucked dry by being a mom (how many times can I watch Pooh in one day!?!?), so ignore the post title!. Ok enough of that! I've been tagged by Jana to participate in this meme. So...

Here are the rules.

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Let your tagger know when your blog entry is up

1. I've had a baby (Reagan), but I have never, ever had a contraction. Not even a Braxton-Hicks contraction.
2. I am completely and totally crazed about Christmas. I cannot stop myself. I spend all year planning and waiting for that magical month-long event. *SIGH* I can't wait til Decembmer.
3. I cannot sleep without covers. My husband thinks I'm insane..it'll be 100 degrees outside and I need a blanket.
4. Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year. And it's WAY.TOO.SHORT.
5. I named my daughter after Ronald Reagan. Yep. Really. I hope she's proud of that fact one day.
6. Sometimes I feel or think that I'm just playing at mommy and one day Reagan's real mom is going to show up, take her home and the fantasy is all going to end....how fortunate am I that I really am her Mommy and she'll be with me always??

Alright, I'm tagging:
Leah
Stace
and well, that's it :)

"FOO-BAAA!!!"

Tonight Reagan and I were watching tv while eating dinner (bad, I know..but Josh was at school!) and a T-Mobile commercial came on..the one that plays out various scenes in life...well, anyway, one scene was a football game. Reagan immediately dropped her food, pointed at the screen with her finger and yelled "FOOO-BAAAA!!!!" SO CUTE. So much like both of us! LOL!