Amber Waves of Grain

For those of you who don't follow my blog, you may not know that I'm a sucker for foods labeled "Limited Edition." I often add posts about what foods we've tried. So, today at Meijer I noticed limited edition Orange Cream Pop Tarts ! Of course, I had to have a box. They have orange cream filling. I tasted one when I got home and they really do taste like an orange dreamcicle (is that how you spell that?). Fabulous. I'm going to have to recommend these. Great for spring too, I thought. Maybe a fun item to stash in an Easter basket even. Pop Tarts are actually a food that we've recently gotten Keegan to eat. With all of his sensory and food issues, they are a great food because we can expose him to many flavors and they are also high in calories! So, the rest of the box will be his. That will be the true test! Buy a box and enjoy!

Keegan is doing so well since getting stitches on Friday. He was quickly back to his old, energetic self. Of course, I'm the one who seems to be traumatized. Here is a picture of his stitches. See, it's not bad now that he's all cleaned up. We go to the pediatrician later this week to get his stitches removed. I think it will be difficult to get Keegan to cooperate; I'm sure he'll be really scared. So, I hope this helps: I sewed matching stitches on his monkey and gave monkey a matching bandage too. I even put a hospital band on monkey's ankle. When we go to get Keegan's stitches removed, I'm going to see if monkey can go first (I'm sure the doctor will play along). Then Keegan's turn. I hope it will help! Thanks for everyone's notes and concern. All is well! (PS Those of you who know how much I hate to even sew buttons back on shirts should be really proud of me!)

On most Fridays, I drop Keegan and Kennedy off at the YMCA for a 4-hour block while I run errands. Today when I dropped them off, there was a firetruck and ambulance in the parking lot picking up a YMCA member who was hurt. For the next few minutes, I played through the scenario in my mind of what would happen if that were one of my kids. It even got me a little teary-eyed just thinking about it. Yet, I knew my kids were safe inside. I ran my errands for the next 4 hours. I signed Keegan up for preschool, went grocery shopping, and even returned to the YMCA early to read a book in the parking lot. When I arrived, another ambulance was parked outside. I thought it was odd that the Y had two accidents in the same day. Little did I know that the ambulance was there for Keegan . I sat and read my book for the next 20 minutes, wondering who would come out with the EMTs . As I walked into the building to get the kids, my father-in-law was on his way out. I just figured he was there to exer...

I sometimes I don't notice how much Kennedy is growing or changing because I see her every day. I thought I'd make a photo timeline so I could see the changes and growth. Here it is for you too! 2 days old: 5 days old: 19 days old: 6 weeks old: 2 months old: 3 months old: She's growing so fast!!

Kennedy officially turned 3 months old this week. I can't believe how fast this time has gone! She continues to be a great baby who is happy and fun. She loves to smile and has the sweetest personality. Here are a few pictures!

Happy 8th Anniversary, Nathan!!!!!!!! March 24, 2001 We looked so young! :)

Nathan's brother, Kyle, is in the navy in Japan. This past weekend he came back 'home' to the states to visit and brought along his Japanese fiance, Yuko. We were able to meet her and spend time as a family. Tonight we're all going to get family photos done together which should be interesting with 5 kids ages 3 and under! We welcome Yuko to our family and look forward to their wedding later this year. Perhaps we'll have an opportunity to travel to Japan to attend; we'll see! Here are some pictures from our weekend with Kyle & Yuko. At my mother in law's house. Just hanging out with family. Kyle & Yuko with Kennedy and Keegan. This was the first time Kyle met Kennedy. Kyle and his mom on the couch and Yuko on the floor. Cousins.... Keegan, Daniel, Mary, Jack loving on each other. Of course, I made them go outside for some pics of just them. I liked this one in black and white. Welcome to the family, Yuko!

In the past 6 weeks (since Kennedy turned 6 wks old), I have lost 12 pounds . No, I'm not nursing (I think just about everybody asks me that). I have lost 12 lbs through eating less and moving more . Did you know that actually works? I also try to apply Miss Piggy's wise advice whenever possible: " Never eat more than you can lift ." Words to live by, if you ask me. I have it down to a fine science. In order to lose 1 lb, you must lose 3500 calories. So... I write down all the calories that I eat and do not exceed 1,000/day (in order to lose 500 calories/day off my basal metabolic rate which is 1500 calories/day). If I exercise on a given day, I can eat more. What I've learned is that: 1) I was eating way more calories than I truly needed and now that I'm eating less I'm not hungry like I thought I would be 2) I was turning to food for comfort and stress relief waaaayyy too much and I've eliminated that 3) Food is for fuel and gluttony is a sin I st...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! Kiss me - my name is Irish! :) Lined up for the parade??

This is my 50 th blog post of 2009 !!! Yay ! If you remember my 50 th blog post of 2008 ( link ), I posted 50 fun and fascinating facts about myself. By the way, for you facebook users--- I did that waaaayyyy before all the facebook forwards going around (can I say I invented them?). So, for today's blog I think you should have to read random facts #51-100. Here they are, in no particular order. I also can't promise that they are exciting. 51. I do not like potato salad but I like everything in it 52. My friend, Michele, and I once got pulled over in Mexico by the police at 3am. I wasn't scared until I looked out my passenger window and saw a man looking at me with a large automatic weapon..... 53. In junior high we could send ' candygrams ' to friends for Valentines Day and other occasions. I sent myself one once so that I would be sure to have one and not feel like a loser walking around empty-handed. Looking back, I'm thinking "Wow! Loser!" ...

Nathan & I share one of those double sinks in our master bathroom (by the way, once you go to double-sinks as a couple, you can never go back). On one half, things are simple. A toiletry bag, a toothbrush, some face wash, and hand soap. On the other half is a pyramid of tiny bottles and little containers . There's a basket full of sample products, a mug, a badger-haired brush, and even a water pitcher that you fill with water and it quickly boils it ( ramen noodles, anyone?). There's "Susie's Bubbles N Squeak homemade black cherry soap" and bottle after bottle of tiny fragrances and oils, most of which have food-related names ("bay rum peppercorns & lime") that make them sound like they belong on your salad instead of on your body. You literally cannot see our counter tops on that half of the sink. The question remains.... whose half is whose? Let me start by telling you that for the last 7 1/2 years, Nathan's definition of taki...

I know Keegan is used to our little photo sessions by now, but Kennedy has no idea what she's in for. Here are a few snapshots from today! Enjoy! Mr. Personality....

Just a quick blog post to wish my friend, MARIAH , a happy birthday today!!! I sat behind Mariah in accounting class my junior year of college (1997-98) at IU Bloomington. We didn't know each other then but I remember that she always had her hand raised with the answer and I was also jealous of all her Eddie Bauer clothes and accessories (trust me, that was the style then)! :) She was also in my microbiology class (probably my favorite college class, by the way) and worked at the parking garage that I often went to. We didn't know each other then but she probably thinks I was stalking her since I remember her from all of these places. I just don't forget a face. Then our senior year, we both went to IUPUI to complete the Health Information Administration program. There were less than 20 people in our class and we were with each other ALL day in the same room. We had to make the best of it. Mariah sat next to me and we became good friends. She is fun, thoughtful, smart, orga...

SAY CHEESE ! Our state's department of motor vehicles now restricts what can be worn or shown in driver's license photos. No glasses, scarves, or even smiles are allowed so that facial recognition software can be used on our photos. You are not allowed to show your teeth. It's really hard not to smile in a photo. Especially knowing that people will see the photo whenever you have to see your ID. Most of us already fudge on our weight a little (right?), so now do we also have to justify our photo before sliding our license to a cashier... "Umm... it was a bad hair day... and I wasn't allowed to smile." Anyway, I thought I'd practice not smiling so I'll be ready whenever my license needs renewed. If you've seen the movie Zoolander , I think Blue Steel or Magnum poses would work well. Here are mine. Help me decide. Pose #1: Pose #2: Pose #3: Pose #4. This one says, "Can't give me a ticket.... I'm a fish." Pose #5. This one say...