A breakfast of champions

I am going to let you in on a secret that you probably already know if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time... I love food.  I love making food and tasting food. So, today I am letting you in on the best breakfast ever. Period. Full of sweet potatoes, sausage, spinach, eggs, cheese, and coffee (of course!)  This is honestly my favorite breakfast. Anytime we have a little bit more time in the morning this is what I make unless of course I am making coconut pancakes (but that is a recipe for another day...)

A Special Visit

Right now at my house, Gramma is visiting. We have had a wonderful time and my boys have eaten up each moment they have gotten to spend with her. I have also enjoyed the continual conversation we've filled the days with. Our thoughts may be interrupted constantly by, "Excuse me, Gramma..." or, "Ahhhhh!!" (a blood-curdling scream) but somehow we have managed to piece together where we left off and even continue on into hours and days of contented chatting.

A Poem, by: our Mother

Six Words, One Life

By Mom

Sisters Chat: A Day at the Spa

Lizzi: So the services we can keep in mind while talking are: haircut/style, coloring, other hair services, pedicures, manicures, massages, makeovers, facials, etc.

If money weren't an option, what service would you want to use regularly?

Esther: Massage or facials. Pedicures are nice too!

Maude: Facials

Esther: Am I allowed to say all of them? Haha!

Lizzi: That's what I'm thinking!

Esther:  Not hair color though... I don't color my hair.

Lizzi: I LOVE getting my hair done, and might get it highlighted sometimes if it weren't so expensive. I also love massages, and manicure/pedicures.

Maude: Nope, Esther is not allowed to color her hair! It is just too pretty naturally to do anything to.

Saint Patrick's Day

We had a lovely Saint Patrick's Day and after talking about it in Friday's Chat I wanted to follow up with one little picture!

We played Tape the Hat on the Leprechan and I cut out a bunch of three leaf clovers and they had to find the one four leaf clover in the bunch.  Milton and I enjoyed making the leprechan and the Happy St. Patrick's Day sign.  I did splurge and buy them each a St. Patrick's Day shirt but I did it around midnight the night before so I got them both for reduced price (I am NOT a bargain shopper so I was pretty proud of that!).

We had green waffles for lunch and Shepherd's Pie for dinner with root beer in bottles.  We watched Darby O'Gill and the Little People (we hid eyes and fast-forwarded the part with the banshee!).  We listened to Irish music and danced around a bit.  And before bed I sang some of their favorite Irish lullabies while we cuddled.

I really love holidays and St. Patrick's Day is especially fun with little ones.  They are thrilled by the littlest things (like green waffles).  I said to my husband that when they are teens they will probably be harder to please - they will think green waffles are silly and below them yet will be upset by the break in tradition.  I am very happy with where we are at now - and I do have ten years to get ready for being the mother of a teenager (thank goodness!).

Spring has SPRUNG... or summer?

Aubrey Renee Photography

The high in Louisville Kentucky yesterday was 88 degrees. I greeted the first day of Spring with windows closed and A.C. blaring. Is not Spring supposed to be around 65 degrees or am I crazy? (Don't answer that!)  Despite the heat I LOVE spring.  It is time to head back to the Zoo! I have to admit we have a pretty rockin' Zoo around here and I live less than 10 minutes from it (Score!) We spend a lot of days/evenings/mornings at the Zoo.  It is also chalk-sidewalk-art season! Translation: I attempt to draw flowers with chalk on my sidewalk but give up when my 17-month-old's scribbles look better than my "flowers" (if only I were joking).  On Friday we are going to attempt to plant our garden.  (I do say "attempt" or "try" a lot don't I? I think that is because I am a lot like Amelia Bedlia and most of my "attempts" go a little awry. But, that is a post for another day!)  I will let you all know how our garden adventures go. I am hoping for success and lots of growing veggies!

Anybody have a Theory?

On Sunday, our pastor shared a quote during his sermon that I thought was hilarious. Hilarious, and true. I don't remember it verbatim, and I don't remember the author of it, but the gist went like this, "Before I had kids, I had six theories about raising them. Now, I have six kids and no theories." That sure made me laugh.

I have certainly been guilty of theories. Theories mixed in with the certainty that I was right about every one of them, before I had any experience on which to base those theories! Before I was married, I had lots of theories about marriage and about being a wife. Before I had kids, I had lots of theories about parenting. It's funny how those theories tend to fall away the longer I am within these roles! Every situation is just too unique to place a black-and-white stamp on it.

My son: by Andrew Beard

This morning my husband (Andrew) and I were talking about our little man and all the crazy things he does, says, and how badly we want to know what he thinks.  We wonder what he will be when he grows up, who he will be more like in personality, how he will spend his spare time and where he might live.  It is fun seeing him begin to grow into a little boy and out of the baby; one day this boy of mine will be a man.  But, for right now he is just a little man, a baby turning into a mischievous kid.   Here is what my husband came up with if what our little man is up to these days.

Sister Chat About Spring

Maude: I thought we would talk about Spring since it is springing up all over - at least in Virginia! Crazy to think we had snow last week
Lizzi: That's a good idea
Maude: What is your favourite thing about Spring?
Lizzi:  I LOVE Spring! I love the smell, the wind, the rain, the sun,
the flowers, and trees blooming!
Esther: I love the rain
Lizzi: It's about the same weather as fall (which I also love) but it feels so warm since you are just coming out of winter...
Esther: we have lots of it right now
all the colors
being OUTSIDE
Maude: I think there is a special exciment to the air in the Spring
I love the rain too!
And this starts the miracle of trees
Esther: I love seeing all the trees in bloom! I have a big tree out back full of blooming flowers
it is beautiful
I also love OPEN WINDOWS
All my windows are open right now
Maude: Open windows are lovely
Is Spring either of your favourite season?
Fall is my favourite season, then winter, but Sping is a close third!!
Esther: I can never decide if I like Autumn or Spring
more
Lizzi: I like to say it's my favorite, but I say that for every season... I love them all best when I am in the midst of them
Maude: What Spring activity do you like to do best?
Lizzi: Get outside and walk!
Esther: Anything outside!
Maude: Picnics!
Esther: We walk to the park a lot
or go to the Zoo
Maude: I love taking walks too.
Esther: Playing with chalk or the ball out of doors
I like picnics too!
we were just talking about wanting to do that
Lizzi: We don't do a lot of picnics until Summer because it's always raining or wet on the ground
Maude: Also, we have just started planting some things in our garden so that is exciting
And the plants we started inside a few weeks ago (like tomatoes) are growing so much each day which is fun.
Lizzi: that is really fun!
Maude: Are either of you doing a garden this year?

The Noticer

The Wednesday Night Bible Study for women at my church is currently reading The Noticer by Andy Andrews.

I had not heard a single thing about this book before a friend at church loaned me her copy.  First, I was expecting a study or devotional.  Second, (considering it was a Bible Study) I was expecting a Christian book.  The Noticer is neither.