Homemade Christmas Cards

I had a plan this year to make homemade Christmas Cards. I made some last year and they turned out really cute. I had a design all created in my mind and I bought the supplies back in October, yep October, so they should be ready to go on by now, right? Wrong. I delayed and thought that I would wait until we got back from DisneyWorld and include a cute picture on them, great idea right? Right. So are the cards done now? Nope. Right now you may think that I am a procrastinator. Well, you would be wrong. That is not the reason the cards aren't done. I have been sick...very sick...morning sickness. Yep, I'm pregnant. So that is why none of you will be getting adorable handmade cards this year. But I think that's a pretty good reason, don't you?

Now you also know why there haven't been very many posts lately, or why there probably won't be too many in the near future.

It is a truly wonderful early Christmas present to be expecting. We are all very excited. So on my list for Santa this year? A healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby...and if he has time...a sleep induced coma for the "sick" part of the pregnancy ;)

Have YOU "Elf-ed" Yourself?

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

DisneyWorld

Photobucket Album

We're Back!

We are back from DisneyWorld and we had a GREAT time! Eden's favorite ride, by far, was Dumbo the Flying Elephant. She would say "Dumbo, airplane, weeeee!" She also loved driving the indy race cars with Daddy and she loved meeting Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. We even got to have lunch with them on our last day and that was the best! My favorite ride was the Kilimanjaro Safari in the Animal Kingdom. You get to take a "jeep" ride through the animal preserve and see all sorts of animals up close. Daniel's favorite ride was Expedition Everest. A very fun roller coaster that I did not go on ;) I am adding pictures to a slideshow because there are too many to post, so enjoy! Now its time to finish up laundry from our trip....

Old MacDonald had a Hmmm?!?

We were waiting in the car for Daddy and I asked Eden if she would like to sing a song.

Which song do you want to sing?

EIEIO

Ok..."Old MacDonald had a farm...and on his farm he had a ...?"

Piggie!

"Piggie...EIEIO...oink oink here...(you know how it goes)...and on his farm he had a...?"

Chicken!

"Chicken...EIEIO...boc boc here....and on his farm he had a...?"

Hmmmm (as she taps her cute dimple with her index finger, apparently she has to think about it and it's the cutest thing in the ENTIRE WORLD....I am totally gushing inside!)

How about a cow?

Cow!

"Cow.. EIEIO...moo moo here...and on his farm he had a ?"

Hmmmmm (and taps her cheek to think about it and then taps mine and says Hmmmm again)

Let me just tell you that if I wasn't completely enthralled with the girl already, that totally sealed the deal. She is by far the cutest girl and she totally had my heart. We can sing EIEIO anytime!

Disneyworld, Here We Come!

We will be taking a family vacation very soon, can you guess where? I'll give you a hint...read the title. Daniel and I have been very excited and we have been trying to gear Eden up for it. I've been "making" her watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, My Friends Tigger and Pooh, etc. So last night we told her:

M&D: Only three more sleeps until Disneyworld!

E: Mickey! Alright! Pooh, Tigger! (The "alright" part was especially cute because she raised her hand in the air)

M&D: Yep, and we get to see Nemo! Do you want to see Nemo?

E: Uh-huh and Dory

M&D: And we get to ride on an airplane! (Eden loves airplanes)

E: Yeah! (and begins dancing while Mommy and Daddy crack up)

No matter who has the most fun, it will be great to be together as a family. I will be sure to post pictures and stories when we get back!

It's Too Soon!

Daniel took Eden with him to run some errands and I got a phone call shortly after...

D: Guess what your daughter just said?

M: Mommy, where are you? (she likes to say where are you)

D: Nope, she said "Meggan, where are you?"

M: What! I am MOMMY...this is too soon..(freaking out)

(I hear Eden in the background)

E: "Meggiiiieeeee, where are you?"

I am Mommy or Mama, not Mother and certainly not Meggan or Meggie. She's only 19 months old, she is not supposed to know my "real" name yet. Can you tell I am freakin' out just a little? She was probably copying Daddy when he calls me Meggan, but that is no excuse. I guess Daniel is going to start having to call my mama at all times because I can't take this, its way too soon for Eden to be growing up!

If Only...

...I could nap with such reckless abandon, *SIGH* I guess that is why I have cats...so they can do it for me and I can at least watch. Pathetic, I know, but it just makes me smile to see my little furry Simon enjoying life so much. That is until Eden decided to say (very loudly) "Simon night night!" Oh well, Simon gets to nap all day so I don't feel sorry for him, well maybe a little ;)

Froggy! Where are you?

We were getting ready to go the library this morning when I noticed a frog behind my car. Now it was probably a toad, but frog sounds better and is much cuter when Eden says froggy, so frog it is. I pointed him (or her) out to Eden and she started saying "ribbit, ribbit" and "Hop, hop". Yes, Eden, that is what froggies do. Well, we still needed to go the library and Mr. (or Ms.) Frog was still behind my car and I didn't want to make him go splat so I tried to "coax" him into the grass away from the car. Mr. Frog did, of course, not go in the direction I wanted and instead hopped his way under the car. I backed the car out hoping that he wouldn't freak out and jump right under my tires, which he didn't. I then got out of the car and tried to get him out of the garage, but sadly it did not work. So I gave up and drove to the library while listening to Eden say "Froggy! Where are you?" again and again. We checked out a couple of books with frogs in them, much to Eden's delight, and came home.

I have since said "Froggy! Where are you?" in the garage and have not seen Mr. Frog. Hopefully I don't "find" him one day when I go to move some boxes. I left the garage door open a couple of inches. Maybe he will go towards the light ;)

Just an Everyday Update

So after my last post about the evening meltdown, things have been pretty normal for us. But I thought I would just update you on all things Eden.

Right now she is obsessed with my chapstick. I have to hide it frequently. But she still requests it. And just recently she started wandering around the house saying "Chapstick, where are you?" If in fact chapstick could talk, I am sure it would have answered because that was the cutest little request I've ever heard.

Eden's current favorite movie is "Finding Nemo". I think we have watched it at least 30 times. And you know what? The movie is still stinkin' funny. I haven't gotten tired of it, surprising I know, but maybe it is just a testament to the extraordinarily brilliant writers at Pixar. Oh, and for all of you out there that own "Finding Nemo" check out Chapter 12 on the scene selections. This is Eden's favorite scene. She can frequently be heard saying "ha he hoo hoo" and "shark-bait"...watch the scene and you will understand.

And as I am typing this she has a box of un-sharpened pencils which she likes to hold and count. Except for now she is poking me in the rear with one and saying "bum, bum" and "rarrrr". Yes, that is my bum but please don't poke it with a pencil or any other object. And please don't hit the cats with the pencils and don't run with the pencils....guess I better go ;)

The Evening Meltdown

Those of you with children know that there is a certain time (usually evening) that one or more of your children will have a "meltdown" and some nights are better than others. Tonight was one of those nights...

Welcome this evening to Eden's room where Eden is having a meltdown. There is crying and carrying-on and thankfully Daddy is playing ref tonight because mommy is about to tear her hair out (which may have something to do with starting a new diet...I NEED CHEESECAKE!). OK, so back to the crying and carrying-on by Eden:

"Apple Juice!"

"Apple Juice!"

"Please"

"Apple Juice!"

"Thank you, your welcome!"

Mommy runs down the stairs to get the "please, thank you, and your welcome" apple juice. Daddy tries to distract Eden while mommy jumps over the blocks and the cats, runs back up the stairs and presents the "please, thank you, and your welcome" apple juice to meltdown Eden. Eden takes said juice and the house is quiet. Mommy hides in another room and takes a moment to recover from Eden's meltdown so she can laugh at Eden's use of all the magic words. Daddy reads bedtime stories to Eden. Mommy thinks she will live to mother another day. Mommy contemplates diets and thinks they are highly over-rated and not good for the marathon mother-er (anyone with children still living at home). Mommy finishes blog entry and goes downstairs in search of peanut butter M&Ms...

Our Civic Duty

OK - So I am a little ticked, well very ticked, that I didn't register in time to vote in this election (moving, etc...don't be mad, I already feel terrible), but that doesn't mean that you can't vote.

Please do your civic duty and VOTE!

Also, please pray for our country, those that lead it now and those that will be leading it soon. We are still one nation, under God and we are going to need all the help we can get.

Girl's Night Out - 80's Style

Saturday night I time traveled back to the 80's. We played Girl Talk (The Ultimate 80's Slumber Party Game) and ate snacks and giggled like little girls. I won an award for the Best 80's Attitude...I think it had something to do with my "totally rad" outfit. Here is the "Before" shot....

And after my total 80's transformation....

These girls are ready to party!

The whole gang...

Do you want to know the sad part....I bought my outfit at Old Navy. Yep...apparently the 80's are back and you can have a piece of it, all you have to do is go to your local mall. My accessories I bought at Claire's...don't you just love the gloves? They are my personal fave.

A special shout out goes to Nicole's husband...every time we spun "call a boy..." on Girl Talk we called him...and he played right along. Dude, you are "bad to the bone".

Coordinating Pajamas

I thought it would be fun to take some pictures of Eden in her cute duck jammies, especially since they happen to go great with the duck slippers her Grandma just brought her. I told her to stand next to her crib and I got a quick shot before she decided to give me that sly grin and say...

..."Night, night mama" and lay down on the floor and cover her face. She is such a tease! I don't know who that is like? Hmmmmm ;)


(The picture is suppose to be turned the other way, but blogger doesn't think so, go figure)

Trick or treat? Definitely a treat!

This past Friday our church had a fall carnival. There were games and "trunk or treat" (trick or treating at people's decorated car trunks). Eden was the most adorable ladybug there (however, there were lots of other cute ladybugs there). The best part? When Daniel was holding Eden and talking to someone she pointed to herself and said "bug". Not only did she know she was cute, she knew she was a ladybug. That's my smart girl ;).

This is my favorite face. She has started making the "Oh" look all the time, she thinks its funny. And, quite frankly, she is right.

I made the antenae out of pipe cleaners, how creative am I?

The back view so you can see the wings.
Eden and her Daddy...don't you love Daniel's costume?...he's going as Eden's dad (ha ha ha, corny I know, but I just had to throw that in there).

Eden's Pretty Flowers

I added some "pretty flowers", as Eden calls, them to her room. They are vinyl rub-ons from Stampin UP!. They were easy to put up (Thanks to mom and kaysha) and they are super cute. They just happened to be the colors of Eden's bedding (pink, yellow, and green). Sweet!

Goodnight Kisses

Daddy was putting Eden to bed Sunday night and Bop Bop was upstairs reading while the rest of us were downstairs watching a movie. Eden comes downstairs and gives me and Kaysha a kiss goodnight. When Grandma asked for a kiss Eden simply replied: "No, Bop Bop"

She wanted to go upstairs and give Bop Bop a kiss instead. Grandma thought this was hilarious and stole a few kisses anyway :) Eden sure loves her Bop Bop.

"Mmmmmmmmm"

My parents took us out to eat at Red Robin Monday night. We had good burgers and lots of fun. Eden had a grilled cheese sandwich, which supposedly was especially delicious. Here is the conversation as Eden took bites of her grilled cheese sandwich:

Eden: Bop Bop
Bop Bop: Yes Eden
Eden: Mmmmmmmm
Bop Bop: Mmmmmmm
Eden: Da Da
Daddy: Yes, Eden
Eden: Mmmmmm
Daddy: Mmmmmmmm
Eden: Kaysha
Kaysha: Yes, Eden
Eden: Mmmmmmmm
Kaysha: laughs and laughs while trying to say Mmmmmm

This continues on around the table and of course she had to ask Bop Bop at least 5 more times. We got a good laugh.

The Oil Ranch

While we had everyone here this weekend we went to the Oil Ranch. We rode the train and got to visit all sorts of animals and have being outside in the nice fall weather.

Eden got to pet a cow. We could have milked the cow, but the poor cow looked a little tired if you know what I mean (wink).

Eden's first pony ride, which she loved! She kept saying "WEEEEEEEEE"
Eden trying to swim in the hay with a goat
Eden feeding a goat. The goats were her favorite.
Eden playing in the hay (my favorite picture of the day)
Eden and Daddy
Bop Bop and Babu

Bop Bop and Babu watching Eden ride the pony

Silly faces with Aunt Kaysha

Fun rides on Bop Bop's shoulders

Picking out a pumpkin to take home.

Grandparents come for a visit

This past weekend my parents and my youngest sister came to visit. Otherwise known as Grandma, Bop-Bop, and Kayca. Eden calls Granpda "Bop-Bop", and she used to call Grandma "Babu" but she isn't sure exactly what she wants to call Grandma, and Aunt Kaysha is Kayca although she did start saying the"sh" part towards the end of the visit. We had a great visit and of course Eden got spoiled. She got a stick horse that "neighs" and duck slippers, and pink ostrich skin cowgirl boots, and new jeans, and anything else Babu and Bop Bop decided she "needed".

When they arrived, Bop Bop came in the house "riding" the stick horse and said Eden will you take care of my horse for me? He ran in so fast and was so excited to tell her that she got scared and cried. When she realized it was Bop Bop she of course took the horse (whose name is "Neigh") and started riding it. Silly Bop Bop, he had the whole thing planned before they even got to our house. I've attached a couple of pictures of all of Eden's spoils.

Eden and her new horse, to which she tells "Giddy up"

Bop Bop and Eden with their boots on

Eden and her new duck slippers

Sneaky, Sneaky

Last night after Daniel and I put Eden to bed we were finishing up some things downstairs when we thought we heard Eden cry. I went upstairs to check and listened outside her room and didn't hear anything. So, I went back downstairs and was reading and Daniel was working on something for work. About a half hour later I hear some noise again. Not really crying but I decide to go check anyway. This time I can hear Eden walking around in her crib so I decide to go in her room and make sure she has her binky. As soon as I walk in she collapses on the spot and "pretends" to be asleep. I go over to check on her and I can see one little eye peeking out but she doesn't even make a peep! Sneaky little girl. I guess she was having a great time playing in her crib and didn't want to get "caught". I didn't realize the sneakiness starts so early :)

Weeeeeeeeeee!

Eden has started saying "Weeeee!" when I back out of the driveway. Part of me thinks it is adorable and part of me hopes it isn't a comment about my driving.

The Kindness of Strangers

Yesterday Eden and I went to our local friendly Wal-Mart for the usual cart full of items. An hour later (most of which was spent waiting to check-out :( ) we were headed to the car and then home. I had a big bag of cat food and some toilet paper underneath the cart and the T.P. fell off on our way to the car. I didn't notice but a nice family pointed it out and the man even volunteered to go pick it up for me. How nice! Not only did he pick it up and bring it back he even fought off some guy that was trying to take off with it. Who steals toilet paper? Anyway, it's nice to know that the kindness of strangers still exists.

A Little Ray of Sunshine...

...just to brighten your day! Don't forget to notice the sparkly shoes, they complete the outfit!

An Interesting Day at the Zoo

Eden and I went to the zoo yesterday with our friends Erika and Alex. Seems simple enough until you add in Daniel's car that wouldn't start. Erika arrived to pick us up at 9am because I thought Daniel would be taking my car to work since his didn't start. Daniel decides to have us jump his car and follow him to Wal-Mart to get the battery replaced. We also had to run to the library to return some books. Fast forward to 10:30am and we are finally on our way to the zoo.

We arrive about 11:15 and have to park really far away because we find out later that admission to the zoo was free! Bonus! First we start with the giraffe's. Eden really liked those.

Then we moved onto elephants and lions. Eden really likes lions and she especially likes to roar like a lion, but the lions were sleeping. She did however get to see a life-size picture of a lion ;)

Which now brings us to the bears. We were looking at the bears and Erika was holding Alex up to get a better look when all of a sudden Alex kicks off his shoe into the bear pit. I look over and see this....

Poor Alex. At least it was just his shoe!

So we move on to the rest of the zoo. Alex borrows Eden's pink crocs so he can pet the goats. This happened to be Eden's favorite part, petting the goats. She actually tried to hug the goat by laying her head on it and trying to get her arms around it, giggling the whole time. Silly girl and poor goat.

On our way out we stopped by guest services to see if they could retrieve Alex's shoe. Fortunately when Erika got home there was a message waiting that the shoe had been rescued and was still in one piece, hooray! At least there was a happy ending to the very interesting day at the zoo :)

Weekend Fun with Cookies and Sprinkles

We had some good 'ol family fun making sugar cookies (from scratch, something I rarely do, but they turned out great! Thanks to my great friend for her recipe). Eden's favorite part was the sprinkles. We had to tell the sprinkles "Night, night" because they were so tired from being used (aka Mommy and Daddy didn't want to pick up sprinkles all over the house). My favorite part was watching Eden try to spread frosting on her cookie. She was very determined, as you can see by never looking at Daddy when he was trying to take pictures. All in all some great family fun.

We're so glad Daddy is home!

Daddy was very tired when he got home, but what a better way to rest than snuggling with his favorite Eden?

You can tell Daddy is out of town because...

Eden and I went to McDonald's for Happy Meals...in our pajamas. Don't worry, we used the drive thru.

Something New Every Day

Eden already says lots of words and phrases. I am quite proud and am also sure that she is speaking on genius levels for her age. But she still manages to surprise me when out of the blue she says something new that I didn't even know she knew or even knew what it meant. For example, last week Eden had to get shots, and for some strange reason that we haven't figured out, she had a bad allergic reaction and was completely covered in hives. I was trying to give her some Benadryl one day and she pointed to her legs and said "itchy, itchy". Yes Eden, I am sure they were very itchy, but holy cow when did you learn what itchy meant?

Last night we were running around the house being silly and I was picking her up and swinging her around. When I set her down she said "Again!" How could I refuse, especially since she has never said that before?

And then this morning I was eating a banana. She walk up and says "Apple" and points to my banana. No, it's a banana. She looks at me with that "Whatever Mom" look on her face and says "Nana, BITE!" I had to laugh because she didn't care what it was she only wanted some, and of course, how could I refuse such a sweet girl when she requested a "bite" for the first time.

Oh and I almost forgot, she said "backpack". She wanted to watch "Dora the Explorer" and so she told me "backpack". I had to do a double take on that one. But again, how do you deny your very brilliant child when they say complicated words. I guess she's found my weakness :) And just for those of you who know and love Dora, when Swiper came on the screen today, she told him "No, no, no!" I guess its time to start looking at colleges :)

Just Because She Is So Darn Cute!

"Why yes, I am ready for my limo. No autographs, please!"

The Best Ice Cream - EVER!

Daniel and I went on a date Friday night. It has been a long time since we've been out just the two of us and we had a really great time. Thanks to the Stewart's for watching Eden so we could go out.

First we went out for Thai food...definitely one of our favorites. The Beef Panaeng was especially delicious. We thought about going to a movie afterward, but opted of a round of miniature golf. It was the perfect night for miniature golf. Daniel beat me by 1 stroke, but we both had a really great time. We drove around a little looking for various things and then decided to get some dessert. We thought some gelato sounded great and we knew of a place in the area so we went in search of gelato.

Well, we didn't end up with gelato, but by the best stroke of luck we ended up at this Mexican Ice Cream place. They make all their ice cream fresh and everything is all natural. The owner gave us samples of almost every flavor, and they were all delicious. My favorite? Rose petal ice cream. Yep. There are actually rose petals in the ice cream. It will blow your mind, it was so delicious, I can't even describe it. I brought a half pint home to eat this week while Daniel is in Portugal, and yes, I am eating it all myself. Since I am not nice enough to share you will have to go get your own. But trust me, it is definitely worth it.

Lucky Charms - They're Magically Delicious!

For breakfast Eden usually eats Cheerios. I buy Cheerios (or the cheaper generic version) because they seem the most wholesome cereal out there besides bran flakes, etc. that I think Eden will eat. Eden has had Lucky Charms before at her Aunt Lacey's house, but I usually don't buy them. This weekend we went to Sam's club and Daniel wanted to buy cereal, it was a 3-pack with Lucky Charms, Trix, and Cocoa Puffs. I let him because usually I make him eat the aforementioned bran flakes, and I thought it would be fun to have a treat.

Anyways, back to breakfast. I pull out the Lucky Charms for Eden this morning and she claps her hands and says "Yea, Yea!!!" She hasn't had them for a long time, but apparently the memory is still fresh. So I poured her some on her high-chair tray and she proceeded to eat all the marshmallows out of the cereal and then ask for more. I wonder what they put in those marshmallows that makes them magically delicious?

Sweet turns Sassy

We have entered the world of sass. If Eden were in a Spongebob Squarepants episode she would be Spongebob Backsass pants. I can't remember what we were doing this morning when the "Sass" emerged, but I do remember her looking me directly in the eye, pointing AND shaking her finger at me and saying "NO, NO, NO!"

As cute as this may sound, I was not amused. So I guess Eden has discovered that she does not like being told no. Even if I am telling her "No! we do not play with knives! or No! Don't touch the stove it is hot!"

So the day was filled with how you do and do not talk to your mommy (and daddy) and that when mommy tells you no, it is for a good reason and not just some whim or fancy that amuses her at the moment. Although I am sure Eden suspects this.

Suffice it to say, I am tired. Reasoning with a toddler is tiring. I should get a Nobel peace prize, as should every mother who has tried to use logic and reason with their child.

The Chip Monster

Chips (and cookies), you better run and hide because Eden is on the loose!

The "Night, Night" Game

Sometimes during the bedtime routine we allow Eden onto our bed for a little family fun, which includes stories and usually Eden jumping on the bed while saying "jumpa jumpa!". Well, Eden has invented a new game called the "night, night" game that we play when we are all on the bed. Mommy and Daddy are laying on the bed with Eden in the middle and this is how it goes:

Eden looking at daddy: "Night, night"

Daddy: "night,night" and closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep

Eden looking at mommy: "Night, night"

Mommy: "night, night" and closes her eyes and pretends to be asleep

A few moments of silence and then Eden taps daddy on the arm.

Daddy: "AAAHHH, Eden you scared me"

Eden giggles and then taps mommy on the arm

Mommy: "AAAAHHHH, Eden you scared me, I was sleeping!"

More giggles and then Eden looks at Mommy and Daddy and says "Night, night" and the game starts again. The best thing about this game is that she created it almost entirely by herself and was very sure about "the rules of play".

I did try a variation the other day when Eden was on the couch. I told her "night, night" and told her to close her eyes. She closed one and left the other open just a crack. Then I tapped her and she said "AAAAAHHHHHHHH".

I about died laughing. She only did it the one time to appease mommy I suppose, and then it was back to the Eden version.

I'm still giggling to myself about that one eye being open...silly girl.

To Touch the Moon

A story told to me by Daddy:

Eden and Daddy went outside to get something out of the car this morning, and Daddy let Eden explore a little (of course). Eden looked up into the sky and found the moon (still visible as it was only 9am) and pointed up to it and said "Up! Up!" She wanted daddy to lift her up so she could touch the moon. Of course Daddy lifted her up to touch the moon and told her that he couldn't quite reach that high, but if she wanted, they could visit there someday.

Then as they were coming inside Eden kept looking back at the moon and waving and saying "bye, bye!"

Eden, if Daddy could, he would give you the moon, you sweet sweet girl.

All I can say is - AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!

When you are a mom you have good days and chaotic days. Today started off good. We ran errands this morning and Eden was a great little girl. She even picked out a cute ladybug halloween costume (more on that later). We got home, we had lunch, we both got a nap. Things started spiraling downhill after the nap. I was trying to help my mom with a computer problem over the phone when I look over my shoulder to see Eden dump a BIG water bottle (32 oz) on the floor. Of course it was open. So I tell my mom I'll call her back and I scoop up a slightly damp Eden and we head upstairs. I strip her of her wet clothes and put a dry diaper on her and stick her in her crib so I can go downstairs to clean up the mess and call my mom back.

Fast forward to me walking up the stairs to go rescue the girl from her crib. I walk in her room and find a naked girl. Yes, naked. The diaper had been thrown overboard and there is pee all over the carpet. Apparently you don't need "boy parts" to shoot it out between the crib slats and onto the carpet. Now comes the:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

I take a deep breath and call her daddy. He says he is coming home to rescue me. So I put on the same diaper because of course THAT is completely dry and clean up yet another wet mess. Fortunately the daddy has just arrived and is taking the girl out for dinner so that mommy can have a little alone time and be able to laugh at all the events that took place today.

Now I can wonder...."Did she purposely see if she could pee on the carpet from her bed? I'm sure it was purely a scientific experiment."

Recovering

I know I haven't posted in a while...but we are recovering. From what, you might ask: an illness? A long road-trip?...nope....We have been recovering from Hurricane Ike. yup. A HURRICANE! I am still in a bit of a delirium...like it never happened, but life is slowly going back to normal. We were very blessed, and I mean VERY. We were one of the initial 5% of people to receive their power back on Sunday. This is a HUGE blessing. Of course our safety, including the safety of our home, was also a very HUGE blessing. We are ever grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who protected us through the storm. As the storm was raging I kept singing a Hymn to myself, "Master, the Tempest is Raging" here is the first verse and chorus:

1. Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.
No shelter or help is nigh.Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threat’ning
A grave in the angry deep?

[Chorus]
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:Peace, be still.
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:Peace, be still; peace, be still.
They all shall sweetly obey thy will:Peace, peace, be still.

This Hymn brought me so much comfort. I knew that no matter what happened I had a Father in Heaven that loved me and my family and He would make sure that we received exactly what we needed. And He has given us more than we asked for, and so we have tried to show our gratitude by helping our friends and neighbors. This has been a very humbling experience.

So, it may take a while more for us to recover. We still don't have phone or our own computer, so I am using Daniel's work laptop when I can. Oh, and in case you are wondering, the girl is great. She weathered the storm the best. I have more tales of her silliness and her sweetness, but those will have to wait until I have more battery juice, or my own computer back. Now I must go join the girl and her daddy for some dancing in the living room. :)

Button, button, who has a belly button?

Eden is fascinated with belly buttons. Every time I change her diaper she requests to see my "bu-bun" or sometimes she calls it "bum" (I know...trust me, I know). So I have to lift up my shirt and show her my "button" and then we have to find her "button". I've compared notes with Daniel and he says he has to fulfill the "button" request as well. She even points out belly buttons on characters in books. I'm sure someday she will try to find a belly button on one of the cats. I'm just hoping that she doesn't request "buttons" in public. That would be fun.

Fruit Snacks

Fruit Snacks happen to be Eden's favorite, and I mean FAVORITE food (if you can call it that) of all time. She frequently requests "snacks" and I usually give in. I try to limit it to two packages a day, but some days (like today) the total can get up to four. Her favorite (and mine) are the Welch's Fruit Punch Fruit Snacks. They smell sooooooooo good and taste good too. Eden usually likes to share her food with us, but not fruit snacks. I will ask her for one and she will move her hand toward mine like she is going to give me one and then she quickly pulls it back and shoves the fruit snack in her mouth. So I have learned that if I want fruit snacks I have to get my own package. Every once in a while I will get myself a package of fruit snacks when I get Eden one. She eyes my fruit snacks with a jealous glare as she eats . Once I dropped one of my fruit snacks, and before I could blink, Eden picked it up and shoved it in her mouth, a look of trimuph on her face. I chuckled quietly to myself because I would have done exactly the same thing. :)

What Eden gets in trouble for the most

Notice the cat food in the water dish. That is Eden's doing, along with the cat food on the floor next to the dish. Eden is really well behaved, but I can't seem to make her understand that we don't play with the cat's food. What makes it worse is that Ginny will "help" her out by eating the pieces of food that she throws out of the bowl while she is doing it. I guess that is what makes it fun. How do you punish a cat for being an accomplice?

Eden Performs!

Eden loves to make animal sounds, and she is very good at it (no, I'm not at all biased). Daddy just started teaching her the wolf sound, so we are still working on that one. My favorite is the snake. But what is most impressive about this performance is that she does it all with a pacifier (aka "bink bink") in her mouth. Now that's talent.

Conquering the giant zucchini

Yesterday I finally finished shredding the giant zucchini. I ended up with 44 cups of shredded zucchini in my freezer, plus a big gallon zip-loc bag full to give to one of my friends. I made chocolate zucchini cake last night in celebration. The recipe is below. I also mentioned that I received 7 or 8 large cucumbers from my mom.

Well, these are now bread and butter pickles.
Now that I don't have any vegetables to deal with, I wonder how I shall fill my time? I'm sure Eden will come up with something.


Here is the link for the

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/907

Can I borrow the keys, Dad?

This past Saturday, Daniel took Eden with him to run some errands. They hit the Gymboree play place, the mall, and of course Home Depot. I got the pleasure of grocery shopping by myself. I was home putting groceries away when I get a desperate phone call from Daniel. "Grab the other set of car keys and meet us at the Home Depot parking lot!"
"Daniel, is Eden in the car?"
"Yes."
"Is the car locked?"
"Yes."

Apparently, Daddy gave the girl his keys while he was putting her in the car and she hit the lock button before he could open his door. Now as I am on my way out the door, I am having a nice little laugh to myself. First of all, I know that my daughter is not in any danger, so please don't think me a bad mom for laughing at this scenario. Okay, so finally Daniel had messed up at something. I know that sounds horrible, but I always end up doing something stupid...and I have to get the "look" from Daniel (or the long sigh over the phone).

So, I am making my way to Home Depot and my cell phone rings: "Never mind, I got her to press the unlock button."

Daniel felt horrible when he got home, but I told him not to worry. Life happens at least we can laugh about it. He later told me he was using his "Jedi mind powers" to make sure she didn't press the PANIC button. Never underestimate the power of the force.

Oh, and if your kids ask to borrow the keys, make sure they are old enough to know NOT to lock themselves in the car :)

Rubber Ducky - You're the one

Tonight after Eden got ready for bed I was in the other room checking my email while she was playing in her room. It got quiet all of a sudden, the tell-tell sign that something is up, so I went to investigate. This is what I found...

She crawled in the tub in the dark bathroom (I turned the light on for the picture) all by herself. Just playing with her ducks (aka "quack quacks"). Apparently you don't need to have the water on to enjoy a good bath. I sure love that girl.

We have entered the "mine" phase

This morning, Eden and I were playing blocks when she decided to throw one at my head. I took it away from her and told her that we don't throw blocks at mommy's head or anyone's head because it is not nice, can cause "owies", etc. I asked her to tell me "sorry" (which she can) but instead she pointed to the block and said "MINE!". Great, the "mine" phase. But I'm still trying to figure out where she learned to say "mine", certainly not from me. :)

Giant Zucchini

I was home this past weekend visiting my family and attending my high school reunion. My mother has had an amazing garden this year (and I guess my dad has helped too :) ) and I asked her to save my a couple of zucchini to take back with me. Well she did and then she went out to the garden the day we left and this is what I ended up taking home...

I know...GIANT. And yes, they are real because I shredded two of them last night. I plan on shredding all of them and putting them in the freezer so I will have zucchini to make bread, throw in casseroles, you get the picture. Oh, and just in case you are curious as to the yield of 2 GIANT shredded zucchini's? It's 26 cups...no that's not a typo...its twenty-six.

Plus I still have about 8 rather larger cucumbers I need to cut up so I can make bread and butter pickles. So if anyone is in need of produce...I can hook you up...or rather my mom can...she gets stuff like this out of her garden every few days. Too bad I have a black thumb instead of a green thumb.

Special Delivery: Eden in a box!

Daddy spoils his little girl. Mommy wouldn't let her play in the box because of fear of ingesting the packing peanuts. Daddy just throws caution to the wind, but Eden didn't even try to eat the packing peanuts, much to mommy's relief.