It's time for a Colby update!
Colby is 14.5 months old, eats like a garbage disposal, can chug a sippy cup in mere seconds, takes about 6 steps at a time, dances with his hands in the car and goes down at naps and bedtime easier than any baby in the world. Fact.
He also says a lot of different words:
Hi!
Mom
Dad
Kyla
Doggy
Sit (to dog)
Thank You
All done
uh oh
splish splash
bye bye
night night (nigh nigh)
(I'm sure I am missing some)
along with LOTS of boy sounds
He also says, "What's this?" and "What's that?" All. the. time.
I like to describe it by saying, "What's this and what's that, what's this and what's that?"
I'll bring him in my bathroom to crawl around so I can keep an eye on him while I get ready. Today he pulled open a drawer.
"What's this?"
bobby-pins
"What's this?"
a make-up bag
"What's this?"
a container
"What's this?"
rubber bands
"What's this?"
eye makeup remover
"What's this?"
bobby-pins
"What's this?"
a make-up bag
"What's this?"
a container
... I think you get the idea.
I think it's so cute, well, at least it's cuter than when he crawls around saying "Mom" for 20 minutes straight.
My mother in law put things into perspective one night Kyla was talking nonstop. It was such a joy for her to hear Kyla go on and on and on. She told me about when Stephen's brother lost his hearing when he was about 2 or 3 and stopped talking all together. I can't imagine this happening to one of my kids.
I'm so thankful Colby can talk, he can hear and he is inquisitive.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ode to my Dining Table
When Stephen and I moved into our house almost exactly 4 years ago, we didn't have quite enough furniture to fill the space. Luckily for us, Stephen's parents were moving at the same time and were getting almost all new furniture for their new house which also serves as a model home for their custom home business (I'd be a bad daughter-in-law if I didn't pass the info along ; ). They lovingly gave Stephen and I their old dining room table, chairs and a matching piece to go with it (I don't even know what you would call it, it's like a cabinet which can house a small office, but I just use it for storage). It's the perfect table for our space and as much as I thought I would never use a formal dining room, now I know I wouldn't want to live in a house without one and wouldn't have become the cook I am without the space to entertain.
This is when we first moved into our house, can't believe it has been almost four years!
There's Kyla and Beckham, 2008! This is how the table normally looks. It's the catchall for my stuff, Stephen's stuff and always has my bag hanging on that chair.
Here is Kyla Skyping with aunt Kim as she opens her birthday presents from Kim.
Dressed up girly and fun for Kyla's 3rd birthday party.
(With matching 'piece' in background)
Ready for lunch at Colby's birthday party.
And a Cinco de Mayo dinner party.
One of the very best evenings spent at this table.
There are so many memories of dinner with friends, family, birthday parties and dinner parties. We can easily fit 10 people around the table and have squeezed in more. I think of New Year's Eve, Easter, special anniversary meals, saturday morning breakfast, our friends and families. Now that I think of it, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get rid of this table! Funny how I don't feel the same about our couches.
But the reason I'm really here is to show you THIS!
Well not really this chair, though it is a good BEFORE picture...
don't forget the hunter green, circa 1992...
THIS! The after!
I've been dying to loose the green vinyl and finally found the perfect pattern and color to take the any design that might be in my home in another direction, and I loooove it!
Now I just need to replace the heinous burgundy curtains in the dining room.
I've been eyeballing this blue and white pattern at JoAnn's Fabrics for awhile and when the fabric was 50% off I jumped on it and went to snatch it up, when I got there, it was really 60% off! Yeah! It may or may not be 'dry clean only' but if it gets dirty to the point a wet wipe, or even steam cleaner can't do the job, I figure if I Stephen can put it on, then I Stephen can replace it! I'm not scared of my two kids, maybe Stephen, but not the kids. Well, Colby is still pretty little... I'm definitely not afraid of Kyla, she's a girl after my neat and tidy heart : )
Friday, June 18, 2010
Top 5: Stuff I Didn't Know But Just Found Out Edition.
1. Oklahoma City has a professional basketball team.
Aaaannnd their name... Thunder. I'm almost more embarrassed for them than my not knowing they existed. Okay, so I may have found this out about a month (?) ago, when they were in the playoffs, but that was also about two years late. Thanks to my friend Sarah for this bit of information, and thanks to Seattle from the entire state of Oklahoma (please note the 'before' and 'after' logos, haha!!).
2. Names of the 'Pioneer Family'
Or the Drummonds. I KNOW this doesn't qualify me to be a super sleuth, all it took was one simple google search. But the fact that I've been reading The Pioneer Woman for about TWO years and not once even pondered what their names could be, blows me away. But now I know, and for those who care, here they are!!!!! Marlboro Man: Ladd, DD1: Alex, DD2: Paige, DS1: Bryce and DS2: Todd. Here is one of the places (you don't have to sign in, click cancel) where you can read for yourself, the comments are interesting/funny/ridiculous too, FWIW.
3. Envelope Free ATM's
Seeing as how I don't have a job, I don't receive too many checks. Since I was running out one night after bedtime, I offered to deposit a couple checks for Stephen, ATM style, so handy! Drive up ATM, even more handy! So I drive up and see there are no envelopes, dang it. I quickly remembered a time in my life where I would hoard ATM deposit envelopes so I could pre-fill everything out and I would be all prepared and organized and happy. SO at 10 or 11:00ish pm I had to park and go into the bank to use the walk up ATM. NO envelopes! Good thing I can read! I quickly found that ATM's no longer use envelopes! Shocking! Amazing! Futuristic! Cool. Here's the breakdown, but you can insert up to 30 checks or 50 bills at a time!! The checks were quickly scanned and I didn't have to do any math. Then I had a receipt printed and a little teeny tiny scanned picture of each check was on the receipt! SO COOL! Please bear with me if you've been doing this since last decade. Thank you.
4. Mother's Cookies are gone forever.
BUT then they came back! YEAH! Apparently, in 2008 Mother's Cookies closed its doors after over 90 years. And people. were. devastated. I probably would have been too if I had even known about it. LUCKILY, two minutes later in 2008, Kellogg purchased the rights and recipes of all the Mother's cookies and a few short months later in springtime of 2009 the cookies were back on the shelves!!! Phewf!! *sigh* Relief!! As I found all this out for myself I felt like I died and came back within a matter of minutes without having to live it out in real time. Why can't everything be like this? I don't know, but all I care about are my Iced Oatmeal Cookies and Circus Animal Cookies. Amen.
5. Red Box
How cool is this?!? Okay, I kid, I kid. But, and this is so bad, I didn't know that you could find a Red Box in any random location. I thought they were affiliated with McDonald's (why? I. have. no. idea.). I should have been tipped off when we were in Florida two years ago and actually rented a movie from a Red Box in a Wal Mart. Yeah. But last week I ran into one at the grocery store. Life changing. Not that we ever use Red Box, but that's beside the point. This is something I would consider if I hadn't already decided to switch from Blockbuster to Netflix on Demand. Oh who am I kidding, I can barely get an envelope to my mail box, let alone accomplishing the impossible task of actually locating a Red Box. ; D
The End.
Please don't judge me :)
Aaaannnd their name... Thunder. I'm almost more embarrassed for them than my not knowing they existed. Okay, so I may have found this out about a month (?) ago, when they were in the playoffs, but that was also about two years late. Thanks to my friend Sarah for this bit of information, and thanks to Seattle from the entire state of Oklahoma (please note the 'before' and 'after' logos, haha!!).
2. Names of the 'Pioneer Family'
Or the Drummonds. I KNOW this doesn't qualify me to be a super sleuth, all it took was one simple google search. But the fact that I've been reading The Pioneer Woman for about TWO years and not once even pondered what their names could be, blows me away. But now I know, and for those who care, here they are!!!!! Marlboro Man: Ladd, DD1: Alex, DD2: Paige, DS1: Bryce and DS2: Todd. Here is one of the places (you don't have to sign in, click cancel) where you can read for yourself, the comments are interesting/funny/ridiculous too, FWIW.
3. Envelope Free ATM's
Seeing as how I don't have a job, I don't receive too many checks. Since I was running out one night after bedtime, I offered to deposit a couple checks for Stephen, ATM style, so handy! Drive up ATM, even more handy! So I drive up and see there are no envelopes, dang it. I quickly remembered a time in my life where I would hoard ATM deposit envelopes so I could pre-fill everything out and I would be all prepared and organized and happy. SO at 10 or 11:00ish pm I had to park and go into the bank to use the walk up ATM. NO envelopes! Good thing I can read! I quickly found that ATM's no longer use envelopes! Shocking! Amazing! Futuristic! Cool. Here's the breakdown, but you can insert up to 30 checks or 50 bills at a time!! The checks were quickly scanned and I didn't have to do any math. Then I had a receipt printed and a little teeny tiny scanned picture of each check was on the receipt! SO COOL! Please bear with me if you've been doing this since last decade. Thank you.
4. Mother's Cookies are gone forever.
5. Red Box
How cool is this?!? Okay, I kid, I kid. But, and this is so bad, I didn't know that you could find a Red Box in any random location. I thought they were affiliated with McDonald's (why? I. have. no. idea.). I should have been tipped off when we were in Florida two years ago and actually rented a movie from a Red Box in a Wal Mart. Yeah. But last week I ran into one at the grocery store. Life changing. Not that we ever use Red Box, but that's beside the point. This is something I would consider if I hadn't already decided to switch from Blockbuster to Netflix on Demand. Oh who am I kidding, I can barely get an envelope to my mail box, let alone accomplishing the impossible task of actually locating a Red Box. ; D
The End.
Please don't judge me :)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
There's an app for that
Last night as we made a trip up to Denver to pick up an ATV Stephen had purchased for his business. On our way home we planned to stop by Darci and Andrew's house (Stephen's sister and her husband) so Stephen could get a haircut. As we drove from the north side of Denver we decided to get some food before stopping by. I immediately remembered one of the most awesome apps ever and decided to use it to find somewhere to eat. Super handy, you just draw an enclosed shape on the map and the app will find all the restaurants within the shape. Like this:
I drew an "L" shape around the two main roads we would take on the way to their house and what came up?? FAMOUS PIZZA!
"We used to go there all the time when I was a kid! We have to go there!" I exclaimed.
As we followed the directions I started to think that this wasn't the same Famous Pizza I frequented as a kid. But hey, a lot can change in 20 years, maybe they had simply changed locations.
As soon as we got there I knew for sure this was not any restaurant I had ever been to.
Begin by looking to the left.
Go ahead, scan around. 'Impostor Famous Pizza' (IFP), with the blue awning, is to the left of the Liquor store with the drive through window red door with hole cut out and plexi glass inserted. The "DESK" store left of IFP is now a "Dispensary". Continue scanning to the left. "Grand Choice New Homes and Remodeling" is no longer that, but another "dispensary". Awesome. Moving along past the "Breakfast Palace" and across the street you see a car lot with a teeny tiny building. All the cars are gone now, and that teeny tiny building is painted bright blue, a bright spot in a dark neighborhood... can you guess what it is?? Can you? I'll give you a hint - it's another "Medical Dispensary"!!! OH. MY. GOODNESS!! How many do you need on ONE block?!? Can you tell I'm a HUGE advocate for medical marijuana??
Luckily we made it in and out of the restaurant alive (YES, we still ate there! eek!), pizza was pretty gross greasy and Stephen gave me a hard time until we left. I'm pretty sure Kyla thought it was awesome, the decor was all NY themed with several arcade games and even a fish tank. A large flat screen tv played some really old movie in black and white. Colby continued eating until it was time to go, as usual. I hid my computer in the car under several bags and blankets. Stephen backed up the trailer with new ATV against a chain link fence in hopes it would still be there when we left.
As it turns out there are several Famous Pizza's in Denver, all with NY style Pizza. All I know is that I am NOT willing to try them out until I find 'the one', no. way.
Go ahead, scan around. 'Impostor Famous Pizza' (IFP), with the blue awning, is to the left of the Liquor store with the drive through window red door with hole cut out and plexi glass inserted. The "DESK" store left of IFP is now a "Dispensary". Continue scanning to the left. "Grand Choice New Homes and Remodeling" is no longer that, but another "dispensary". Awesome. Moving along past the "Breakfast Palace" and across the street you see a car lot with a teeny tiny building. All the cars are gone now, and that teeny tiny building is painted bright blue, a bright spot in a dark neighborhood... can you guess what it is?? Can you? I'll give you a hint - it's another "Medical Dispensary"!!! OH. MY. GOODNESS!! How many do you need on ONE block?!? Can you tell I'm a HUGE advocate for medical marijuana??
Luckily we made it in and out of the restaurant alive (YES, we still ate there! eek!), pizza was pretty gross greasy and Stephen gave me a hard time until we left. I'm pretty sure Kyla thought it was awesome, the decor was all NY themed with several arcade games and even a fish tank. A large flat screen tv played some really old movie in black and white. Colby continued eating until it was time to go, as usual. I hid my computer in the car under several bags and blankets. Stephen backed up the trailer with new ATV against a chain link fence in hopes it would still be there when we left.
As it turns out there are several Famous Pizza's in Denver, all with NY style Pizza. All I know is that I am NOT willing to try them out until I find 'the one', no. way.
Friday, June 11, 2010
BBQ Chicken Pizza
If you've ever had the BBQ Chicken Pizza at CPK, and I'm not entirely sure who hasn't(!!), you gotta try this! It is SO GOOD, honestly one of the best things, if not the best thing I make!
Yes, this recipe belongs to the Pioneer woman, you can find it here. after some experimentation I set the oven at 475, use green onions instead of red and use much more BBQ sauce than she does on the pizza. Be sure to stretch it out thin so you get a nice crisp crust! The best part is that her dough recipe makes TWO pizzas, you are good two nights in a row ; ) ; ) Or you could just make two different pizzas, but trust me, no one will complain about eating this two nights in a row, not even Kyla ; D
Before the highest temperatures my oven has ever seen
and after
Yes, this recipe belongs to the Pioneer woman, you can find it here. after some experimentation I set the oven at 475, use green onions instead of red and use much more BBQ sauce than she does on the pizza. Be sure to stretch it out thin so you get a nice crisp crust! The best part is that her dough recipe makes TWO pizzas, you are good two nights in a row ; ) ; ) Or you could just make two different pizzas, but trust me, no one will complain about eating this two nights in a row, not even Kyla ; D
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
ABCs 123s
I've noticed that Kyla has been talking letters and numbers lately, in a different way, and it's exciting! I've realized, once again, that I have no clue what the next step is, you know, the step past 3 years and 4 months of age. Can you tell I am not an expert in childhood development? Here's something I just figured out, please, refrain from pointing and laughing... when I was stressing that Kyla couldn't sing her ABC's at age two like one of her friends, it didn't matter, because at that point it was just memorization of a song NOT letter recognition. Same goes for counting. I'll be the first to admit, it's impressive when a 1 year old can count to 15, but as of, oh, yesterday, it doesn't stress me out that my one year old doesn't do that and most likely will not until after he is two. But that is fine with me (really, this is a revelation for me) because I know that he will (really) learn his numbers and, at the same time, will have this crazy knack for memorizing random information (like all toddlers and preschoolers do), whether its letters and numbers, or not.
I've noticed that Kyla is interested in numbers in the way that each number has value and that they can add up. I've noticed that Kyla recognizes letters and knows that they make different sounds. It's exciting that she is learning, but it's exciting to me in a way that boggles my mind! I can only imagine what it will feel like when she discovers things beyond her ABCs and 123s. I'm reminded of my favorite high school teacher, Mr. Shields, he said his favorite thing about teaching was seeing the exact moment when a student 'got it' or figured out what he was trying to teach. I see those moments in Kyla and she is only 3! I so look forward to many, many more of these moments!
Today in the car, Kyla asked, "How long until I am 100?"
"In 97 years." I said.
"That's going to be a great party!" she replied.
"... Yes, it is going to be a great party."
I've noticed that Kyla is interested in numbers in the way that each number has value and that they can add up. I've noticed that Kyla recognizes letters and knows that they make different sounds. It's exciting that she is learning, but it's exciting to me in a way that boggles my mind! I can only imagine what it will feel like when she discovers things beyond her ABCs and 123s. I'm reminded of my favorite high school teacher, Mr. Shields, he said his favorite thing about teaching was seeing the exact moment when a student 'got it' or figured out what he was trying to teach. I see those moments in Kyla and she is only 3! I so look forward to many, many more of these moments!
Today in the car, Kyla asked, "How long until I am 100?"
"In 97 years." I said.
"That's going to be a great party!" she replied.
"... Yes, it is going to be a great party."
She's so smart :)
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