Southern Sayin' Of The Month

I live for the light of a full moon. -me

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

That Little Voice

Right now I'm sitting on the couch with my sick little girl as she naps.

6:30am: She wakes up, feels a little warm, but temp is barely 99. A little voice says, "This isn't good" but a louder voice says, "You've got to get to work." 

9:30am: The little voice says, "Check on your baby." I call. No answer. I go back to teaching.

9:45am: Call comes through to my room. The sitter says her temp has suddenly spiked to 103 and she's thrown up several times.  That little voice is screaming at me now. "Why did you leave her? You knew something wasn't right."

I leave work and go to pick her up. I feel sick myself knowing that I wasn't there for her. I know that she was well cared for, but I feel like it's a battle I fight all the time. Keep that little voice quiet.  Ignore the feeling in my gut because I have other responsibilities to attend to.

That, my friends, is mommy guilt. And I don't want anyone to say that I shouldn't feel guilty. I want to listen to that voice and follow that gut feeling. Reality says work, because I actually do love my job, but that little voice says be with your babies.  Maybe one day my little voice and reality will align.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Rose's Brownies

I have made these brownies for two years for our local Charity League's Holiday House event and they are so good I thought I should share the recipe.  Just make these once and trust me, you'll never want boxed brownies again.

I think the secret is that the icing is just as thick as the brownie and it a slight mocha taste from the coffee you put in. Enough trying to sell you on them, here's the recipe:
Brownies:
1 stick butter, melted
2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons cocoa
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix dry ingredients; then add eggs and butter. Add vanilla and nuts and mix well. Pour into (2) greased 8x8 inch pans. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes (toothpick should come out clean).

Frosting:
1 stick butter, melted (with 1/3 cup milk added to it)
1 box powdered sugar
3 heaping tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix powdered sugar and cocoa. Add milk and butter. Add vanilla and coffee. Beat well and then pour over warm brownies.

Now you will be tempted to eat the entire pan right away, but they really are better if you wait till the next day to cut them. So eat 1 pan when you make them and then save the other for the next day! Enjoy!

Monday, November 28, 2011

It's Exactly What It Looks Like

Yep, it's a bacon t-shirt. Why might one need a bacon t-shirt you ask? To torment my husband, that's why. A few weeks ago the RedHead and I had a discussion about having a third child. We have discussions about this quite often, but we both know that it would be best if we wait just a tad bit longer.

During this discussion I decided it would be best if we had a code word. Kind of like a "safe" word, but really the opposite. He says the word and I know that we're ready to start trying. The word: Bacon! Since then I've been completely harrassing him about all things bacon. I'm perfectly content waiting a few more months, but this is just too much fun to let go. So this little beauty is going to be hanging on the closet door for him when he gets home.

And I think I've found a stocking stuffer as well:
I kid. That's just gross!

 

Sunday, November 27, 2011

So It Begins

With Thanksgiving's passing, the Christmas season arrives.  Just today my Mama asked me what I had going on this week. I replied, "Drop off food for the Holiday House Shoppes and Colson's basketball practice on Wednesday, Preview Party on Thursday, Charity League Holiday House shift Friday...  The calendar is filling up quickly.

Once December begins it seems that there is a steady stream of activities, parties and general busyness. I am happy to have this season of celebration with my family and friends, but I look forward to the small moments with my closest family that put that intense feeling of joy in my heart.

I look forward to hanging the stockings on the mantle, drinking cocoa while watching Christmas movies, making cookies with my children, and talking with them about the story of our Savior's birth. The parties are fun, but these small moments are the ones I will treasure forever.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Many Blessings

This Thanksgiving I have more than my fair share of things to be thankful for. There's the big things:

I'm beyond thankful for a husband who loves me so much and spoils me rotten. He is the most supportive and attentive person I know.

I am thankful for my two children who bring light and laughter into my life.
I am thankful for my Mama, a job that allows me to share my passion for reading with children every day, and friends I can count on for anything.

Then there are the little things:
Sugar-Free Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer that allows me a treat while not breaking my carb diet.

My hairdresser being able to work me in the day before Thanksgiving so I can have "good" hair through the holidays.

Hunter Rainboots that keep me stylin' even in yucky weather.

Bacon...because bacon makes everything better! ;)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Here's The Trick

Here's the trick...I'm posting this a month late. But these two are adorable little treats. We had the best Halloween this year. We visited family first, and then we met up with other families in the neighborhood, ate pizza, and had a hayride for the kids to trick-or-treat all of the homes. Here are some pictures of our little Strawberry and Fire Fighter!
 With Daddy, at least Lilly-Belle is excited!
With Mommy and our pumpkins
 
With Nana
 With Great Grienky
With Great Granny

With Miss Liz, Lauren, and Logan



Monday, November 21, 2011

Monkey Goes To School

Way back in August Colson Monkey started Kindergarten. We decided to send him to our neighborhood school instead of having him come to the school where I work. It was hard for mommy to let go, but boy am I glad I did. He is an independent little boy who is loving school, has the best Kindergarten teacher, and tells me a hundred new things that he's learned each day!

His first day of school:




And after just a few short months, here he is reading!


I couldn't be more proud of him!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Homemade Brunswick Stew

This is seriously the best soup you will ever make. If you like Vegetable Soup, you will love Brunswick Stew. It's like vegetable soup on steroids! Here I have made a double batch because I was sending in some to my Monkey's school for the teachers, but you don't have to double up (unless you love it as much as I do!)

Grab your biggest pot get started!


Brunswick Stew – Makes 6 quarts

3 large Chicken Breasts – boil until done / cool / shred
1-1  ½  lbs Barbecue (I use sliced and I shred)

4 medium Potatoes diced
1 lb Carrots diced
Cook Carrots and Potatoes until tender

In large pot add:
1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes
3-4 cans Tomato Sauce
2 - 3 cans Chicken Broth
2 cans Kitchen Sliced Green Beans
1 can Black Eye Peas
1 bag frozen Baby Limas
1 bag frozen Shoe Peg Corn
Potatoes and Carrots
Shredded Chicken & Barbecue
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes crushed or 1 Tbsp Chicken Base (Paste found in Chicken Broth section)
Salt & Pepper to taste
 Sugar (1 TBSP)
Nature Seasoning

Simmer on low for 1-2 hours stirring often. This soup freezes well, so don't worry at all about what to do with any leftovers you'll have (as if there will actually be any!) And a big Thank You to my Mama who helped me make all of this!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

A True Story

There once was a girl who started a blog while trapped under a nursing baby. And now that baby is two and a half. And that girl is back at work, and still being wifey and mommy, and daughter and child of God, and housekeeper and friend, and the list goes on. And the little blog went neglected, but not forgotten because so many other things took priority.

But the girl was sad. She missed writing and talking to bloggy friends and keeping a journal of her thoughts and life. She's still trying to think of a time to carve into the day/week to write a bit. She doesn't want to let her blog get too far gone because one day she'd like to be trapped under a nursing baby once again.  And she'd like to write about it.






Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Improv Icecream

The other day I read this post on Cowboy Boots and Baby Booties and before I could even leave her a comment I had to go make some of this delicious icecream!  I decided I would take her advice and make it with the kids today since it is the last day of summer vacation.

Recipe for One Serving:
1 cup half and half
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I upped it from her recipe...I'm a sucker for vanilla)
Ice
Kosher Salt

Mix the first three ingredients in a baggie and then put that baggie inside another baggie. Double Bag it baby!

I didn't have any large ziploc baggies so I threw ours in a large Tupperware container with the ice and salt and shook away. It took about 5-7 minutes of shaking and if you like yours more firm you may have to add a few minutes. (This made me rethink my position on the Shake Weight...maybe it really does work. And that means I got a workout while I made icecream. Yes!)

Once you've reached the consistency you like, just pull out the clean icecream baggie and serve it up.
Mama Bear and Baby Bear portions!

If you decide to make some make sure to go tell Laura how much you loved the idea. :)


Thursday, August 11, 2011

It's Okay..



I'm linking up again today with Amber and Neely for It's Okay Thursday. Click the button above if you'd like to link up too!
It's okay... to be frustrated when people don't do their jobs. It's called responsibility. Check it out!

It's okay... to feel a little weepy because your little boy is going to the beach for 5 days without you.

It's okay...to feel weepy because you're so proud of that same little boy for singing praise to God at VBS.

It's okay...to crush on fashion blogs.
la vie petite
Clothed Much
Kendi Everyday
little tin soldier

It's okay...to work in your classroom days before you're paid to be there because you want it to be just right for the kids when they arrive.




Monday, August 8, 2011

Where I'm Totally Fooled


I'd like to start out by going a little mushy and saying that I totally have the best husband ever! The RedHead pulled off a surprise party for my 29th birthday on Saturday.  Despite spyteching being one of my best skills, I had absolutely NO idea.  I didn't even think that I should be looking for anything to happen.

Why?

Because my birthday isn't until the end of the month.  He totally thought this through. He sent out printed invitations (which really impressed me and my friends because no less than 10 people told me how he even had invitations done).  This is such a big deal for men!

Two of my best friends took me out for a "Ladies Night" to get our nails done and have dinner and then we came home to the surprise party.  It was so much fun to have my friends there, lots of margaritas on hand and the most delicious (and enormous) cupcakes from Cakes and All Things Yummy!
Pink Lemondade...which I'm currently eating.
Orange Creamsicle, Red Velvet and Key Lime
No pic of the margaritas we had, but I did get a bottle of Skinny Girl Margaritas from a friend!

I had butterflies in my stomach for the first hour because I was THAT surprised. It was a wonderful time and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate.

Thank you Nick for such a great early birthday gift! I love you!

*Oh, and we won't mention that I was an hour late because I (yes, it was my fault) insisted on moving our reservations back so we wouldn't have to rush getting our nails done.  Luckily the crowd was on my side. :)

**Oh, and I got to order this bag for my birthday gift. Just another reason I wasn't expecting anything because this would totally be enough. Maybe he just said yes to not ruin the surprise! 



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