Disconnected

Since I have not been going on facebook this month my phone has definitely been great for keeping in touch. Sadly my phone is taking a break in a bowl of rice because Adelaide threw it in the toilet. So gross and horrible. She is so fast and clever these days. She seized my phone, opened the toilet lid, and threw it inside... yuck yuck yuck. I definitely lost my temper because I have had many little talks with her about how the toilet is not for playing, but she didn't even care, and in fact laughed at me. Sometimes I think Adelaide has a disconnect when it comes to her mother's emotions. She laughs at me when I cry, vomit or yell. It helps me not to take myself too seriously. Anyways, hopefully my sad little phone will come back to life and don't worry I will sanitize it.

Little Monkey

When Adelaide does things like climb on top of my dishwasher, which could potentially break it, I know that I should use it as a teaching moment on what is appropriate behavior and what is not. But instead I find myself laughing out loud and grabbing a camera almost every time. Maybe I should start acting more like a mom?

I Love...

Since it is Valentine's Day I have been thinking about the lovely things in life that make it great.

Lately I Love...

The smell of freshly baked bread. And then eating it.

Finding Adelaide in the bathroom hiding behind the shower curtain with just her little feet poking out. And her cute giggle when she realizes I've found her.

Rick. A lot. I also love that he is graduating this May from his MBA program. And that he is in the top 20% of his program, and that he works so hard for our family in school and at his internship. And of course that he is such an amazing husband and best friend and always makes me laugh and smile.

Talking on the phone with my family. It makes me feel like they aren't so far away.

Sunny days like today. Even if there is still slush on the ground, I'll take it.

NPR. Your podcasts help me feel connected to the world when I'm inside all day.

Reading to Adelaide and watching her grow and learn.

Not being on Facebook. I've taken the month off and although at first I went through withdrawals, I now find myself feeling more present and wasting less time.

Weddings. I am so excited that my sister in law is getting married in a couple of months.

My friends and family. Even though I don't see or talk to some of them as often as I'd like, they are on my mind and I really love all of them.

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

Almost 18 Months

Lately I am amazed by Adelaide's inquisitiveness. She is suddenly extremely curious and constantly trying to learn new things. She absolutely loves to read and if she could have it her way she would sit in my lap all day except for brief breaks to go pick out more books. She especially likes books that have lots of animals or objects that she can identify or point to so she can learn their title. She also really likes her lift-the-flap "Where is Mommy Book" probably because it has my picture to kiss at the end. :) She likes to color now and do little art projects and is trying to say new words. The words we can understand so far include Mama, Dada, Grandpa, teeth (she loves teeth, kinda funny), eye, baby (loves her dolls), bye bye, uh-oh, over there, what's that, please and no (my least favorite- I am trying to squish it out of her vocabulary by saying YES in a very exciting way all the time, it is not working). She is babbling constantly so I'm sure she thinks she is saying many more coherent words and probably wonders why we are ignoring all her brilliant thoughts and ideas. She also really loves to nod her head vigorously for yes or no answers. We just love her and watching her grow.

Yesterday I let her decorate our front door with paper hearts and that made her happy.

Iced Donuts

It has been snowing hard all weekend. I really hate driving in the snow and even being a passenger in the car when it is snowing; it makes me nervous. Last year was my first time living in snow and I would scream with terror whenever Rick would skid around and do his dangerous little tricks. I guess I've gotten used to it because now I have a blast on our snowy adventures and can't stop laughing. Recently we did some donuts in a local parking lot and Rick mastered the 360:

Enchilada Love

These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas are so delicious! I made them tonight for our little family and they were a big hit. I even made a double batch and froze half for next week. I am trying to be more organized and am attempting to make two meals a week that I can double and freeze, that way I only have to actually cook five meals per week from scratch. So far it is working out great :) Anyways, I highly recommend this recipe from Whole Foods... I am loving their recipes lately.

Orange Fries

I cannot get enough sweet potato or yam fries lately. Adelaide and I both love them. I think Rick would too but there is never any left for him by the time he gets home. Oops.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes or Yams

olive oil

salt

pepper

brown sugar

paprika

I think what I like most about these is how easy they are. All you do is peel and cut them into pretty equal sized wedges (otherwise the small pieces will burn and the big pieces won't be as crisp as you'd like). Then you drizzle olive oil on them and sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika and brown sugar to taste. Toss it together and place on a baking pan or dish and place in a 400 degree preheated oven. I check them every ten minutes and stir them until they are crisp and done. I've noticed that using a baking sheet makes for more crispy and less soggy fries.

Enjoy!

What they look like before you pop them in the oven.

Finished! This batch I didn't want too crispy- if I had left them in a little longer they could have browned more.

Child approved!