Dinner time is special time....

Lately, I've been trying to make dinner a tad more special.  I almost always am cooking up a new recipe, or bringing back an old favorite.  My kids tend to remind me of Garth from Wayne's World.  You remember that part, where Benjamin (Rob Lowe) is trying to talk to Garth about having the sponsor on the show weekly, and Garth (Dana Carvey) has the weird helmet and is working on some sort of mechanical hand?  Just before the hand starts moving, Garth says "Change? We fear change."  

Yeah.

That's pretty much my kids.

Which is why, like a glutton for punishment, I try new recipes 3 to 4 times a week.

In an effort to try to trick them into focusing on something other than the food, I used a gift card and purchased some table clothes, cloth napkins, place mats, plates and pulled out our dusty wine glasses and started setting the table.

It worked. Like twice.

This is a typical dinner scene in my house.

The table is set, looking very nice.  The house smells lovely, like garlic and herbs. Wine glasses are filled with milk, juice or water.

The kids noticed that the camera had come out, so I got some smiling faces prior to dishing out the food.  *Please note, I had already heard from the older one that she "wasn't hungry".  This is code for "I don't like what you are making.  I'm not even going to try it.  Why do you hate me?  I fear change."

 

Then, the food was doled out.

One was adamant about not even trying it.

The other seemed to like it.

Yep.  This is dinner time at my house.

And because I happened to catch an awesome face directed at her sister, I just had to add it.

And so we went to the zoo...

Do you ever notice how a vacation makes you re-charge?  How it makes you re-think your life plan?  Yeah, me either.  I just slept and ate.  And read a book.

We took a couple of extra days off around the fourth.  My sister came to visit, and we really just needed some time to recharge.  We went nowhere, but that was good.  REALLY good, actually.

We took walks together through our Forest Preserves

This crazy deer was so close to us, and just kinda watched us stare and gawk at her as she ate.  I know it's rude and all, but I don't normally see deer this close except when they take suicidal leaps in front of my car.  It was really cool.  I got about 15 pictures, but this was my favorite.

One night, the girls asked to go camping in the backyard.  Since it was about 10:00, we were trying to watch a movie (this was probably the 7th of 9 interruptions), and we had never pitched that tent, we decided to put it up in Olivia's room.  They had a blast with their first slumber party-ish.  *Please note, I did tease my husband about pitching tents in the dark, how could I resist?*

This was the day we took my sistah back to the city to catch her bus to MS.  This was also the day we decided to go to the zoo.  We were hoping the zoo would be empty.  We were not disappointed.

Olivia just outside the tiger enclosure.  Can we pay for the telescope?  No.  Daddy had the brilliant idea to use the zoom on my camera to see the tiger.  Which was mostly his butt, since he was sleeping, butt to the crowd.

I just adored the water fountains!  This one had a baby deer and other woodland creatures.  LOVE the detail!

The girls trying to help the hippo escape, or es-cop-ay.

I was amazed at how this gorilla was able to give me the same look Olivia likes to give me.

Enthralled by the wild bird enclosure.  I too would like to live here.

Daisies outside the reptile house. 

Did I mention that there is a gorgeous garden just outside the zoo?  No?  Well, there is.

What mom? I'm just trying to get some money from you to make a wish in the fountain.  Yes, my wish is to stop walking and get some ice cream.

Almost to the end, and this was the pose.

Now, she's too tired to walk.  And then she slept until 9:30 this morning.  If I could, I'd take her to the zoo every day!

*DISCLAIMER*

I really did only post about 20% of the pictures I have.  I'm sorry for the inordinate amount of photos, but I enjoy taking pictures and sharing them. :)

Linking up with Greta and Sarah for #iPPP

Dance Recital

A few weeks ago, the girls had their dance recital.  They go to dance class, one day a week, for the entire school year, to build up to this recital.

They love the dressing up, make up, hair, posing, dancing, being on stage.  It's just awesome for them.

We had great seats, for the first time in three years, and we actually made it to the recital on time, if not early.  We had a little adventure when Tony got up to let people into our row, and apparently, our seats were not bolted down.  The seat tipped back and apparently banged the guy behind us.  Tony apologized, but he just keeps rubbing his knee, mumbling, giving us dirty looks, as if my husband is not only the one who accidentally banged him, but is also the person that unscrewed the bolt in the seats.  People.Please.

After this we were subjected to listening to their conversation about the roads they took to get to the recital and traffic.  Stimulating.

Finally, the dancing began.  Mia was one of the first three or four dances.  She was so cute.  She waved to us, and did a really great job on her dance.  The next time she came out, she did even better.  She had 2 routines and was great!  She seemed to know what moves, in which order. Definitely not the best, but not the worst either.

Olivia was doing hip hop and her routine did not come up until after Intermission.  She danced to "Everybody Talks" by Neon Trees.  She did really well, even telling a few other girls where to go when they got lost.  She did almost fall down, but that's ok.  Grace is not something heredity has bestowed upon her (or her mother).

Here are Olivia and Mia, posing.

Apparently, Olivia has this posing thing DOWN!

Right after hair and makeup were complete

Apparently, dance recital and missing nap conspired to wipe.her.out.

Today was a good day....

Today, no child of mine pooped in the backyard NOR did they walk through dog poop in their bare feet.  That was yesterday.

Today, the dog has not jumped up on the table to eat the food left there by my children who do not eat, or clean up after themselves.  Again, that was yesterday.

Today, I worked from home and the dog did not pee in my house.  That was yesterday.

Today was a good day.

So, today, I will share photos with you that have been hiding on my phone, or hanging with pals on Instagram.

Also, before we get into the pictures I want to say thank you to all of the people that have left supportive comments either here or on FB or messaged me on FB.  I love hearing from you and the encouragement and the messages of how I have encouraged you.  This community is just so awesome, I needed to take a minute and thank you.  Thank you so so so much!!!

This happened, thanks to all of you and your support.  70 lbs later and I bought my first strapless dress.  Yes, that is a goofy "I'm in the dressing room at Old Navy, no makeup, bad hair taking a dumb selfie" smile.

My kids' grosser than yours....

Yesterday, we had beautiful weather.  It was sunny, and about 70 when we got home.  The girls sprinted for the back yard, and I, happy and alone, began making dinner.  As the soup I was making began to simmer, I sat down at the computer to enter the recipe and point it out so I could track it.  As I was doing this, the dog came running inside.

Mia was yelling at the dog to come back outside, and he was running around like a little maniac.  That's when the smell hit.  *sniff, sniff* "What is that?"  It smells like a barn with cows. Why does the dog smell like a barn?  "Mia, why does the dog smell?

"He rolled in poop, Mommy."

"GET OUTSIDE!!!!!"

We got the dog outside, and Olivia came inside to get the dog shampoo, a bucket and washcloths.  The girls began washing him pretty much everywhere.  There was poop on the collar, which was taken off an thrown into the yard.  Olivia claimed we needed a new one.

I came to help and scrubbed the poop out of the dogs shaggy curly hair.  Once we could finally see no more poop, on him, he was dried off.  The girls, thought this was their cue to go back to playing.

"Uh...do you really think you get to go back to playing when you've had your hands in poop-water and been cleaning poop off the dog? Get inside and wash those hands....AND DO A GOOD JOB!"

The girls come in as I'm filling the washer with the dirty dog cleaning supplies.  They try to run out doing a quick cleaning job, but I call them back in to wash hands again.  While in the bathroom, I'm behind them, watching them wash.

"What happened?  Were you cleaning up the dog poop?"

"No"

Then Mia pipes up.  "It was my poop."

Uh......what?

"Do you mean that you pooped outside?  You took your tights off, and your underwear down and you pooped - IN MY YARD?!

"Yes"

"And the dog rolled around in it somehow?"

"Yes"

~File this under things you never would have thought you'd have to tell your daughter.  "We do not poop in the yard.  We poop in the toilet.  We are not dogs.  Dogs poop outside, people use toilets inside."~

Linking up with Greta for #iPPP

Finally, a post...

I haven't been posting much lately.  It seems like there was such a whirlwind of activity, with my Grandpa passing, heading quickly out of state and back again, getting sick, getting back to work, new interesting things at work, etc.  I've been working out, and surprisingly not cooking as much.  My other brother has joined my house too.  Life has been surprisingly busy, and I have not been in my head.  Which is a bit of a relief.  But, I have also not been writing which weighs on me.  As usual, when I try to push myself back into the swing of things, I start with pictures.  It's been some time since I've linked up for iPPP, so, let's do this!!!

This is my little grown up girl wearing her Valentine's Day loot - shirt, head band, purse.  Which she kept a Hello Kitty in.  Only the important things, am I right girls?

The pup lost his 'fro.  But still can rock a "Bat Dog!"

Got an awesome lunch date picture.  These girls are FUN!

But, they need some reminders on basic hygiene.  This is now framed and hanging in their bathroom.  They had a huge giggle-fest last night, but have most likely already forgotten all about this.

Got myself a Valentine's Date Night, Saturday the 16th.  Found out that the hubs had put in red lights on the Mustangs foot wells.  This is exactly what it looks like - no editing.

I made this marbled cheesecake.  One word. Yummmmmmmm.

The two of us together, also from date night.

Having fun snuggles....

Scary/funny face snuggles....

And back to sweet snuggles...

My sweet pup always looks sad.  It may just be a ploy for more dentasticks.  Or to trick the cats out of the basement.

Finally, we got to see what this year's dance costumes will be.  The yellow are long shorts.  So cute.

Have a happy Tuesday, All!

Linking up with Greta @ gfunkified for iPPP.

Some "day in the life" shiz....

Here is my first photo back at Instagram.  I can't imagine what I'm going to do when someday I have to move on.  I may have to go to Instagram Instarehab.  Anywho, Mia didn't think that her hair looked pretty up in a ponytail.  So, I took a picture and showed her.  Then, she decided that I was right, she is pretty.

 

We had an unexpected day together last Friday.  We got less than an inch of snow, and apparently couldn't hang.  This is what happens with two rather snow-less winters in Chicago - you lose the ability to deal.  So, after a two-hour round trip to get about 12 miles from my house, and back (one way commute is 36 miles), Mia and hung out at home.  I got some snugly time because I am a lucky mama.

 

A picture while stopped on our snowy drive last Friday.

 

A little later on, my blond snow angel had a blast running through the little bit of snow we had.

 

This is what happens when a 4 year old dresses herself.  Although, I have to say, she matched the skirt and the shirt perfectly to the stripes on the pants.  I loved the look and so did she.

 

You may or may not know, but I really love to cook.  I had found a site (www.punchfork.com) that was like a search engine for food bloggers or food websites.  I have been unhappy that punchfork has recently been acquired by Pinterest, mostly because I didn't use Pinterest for food.  Now, I have moved all my punchfork likes to a board on Pinterest.  You can find me here on Pinterest, if you are interested. This is a chocolate cake, with chocolate chips and chocolate butter cream.  Yummy!

 

This is what I do every weekend.  I plan the meals for my family, then put it in a note on my phone so that I always know what we will be eating and can create the necessary shopping lists as well.

 

Lastly, this is what greeted me when I opened my bedroom door.  Hello Kitty in her birthday suit.

Linking up with Gfunkified for iPPP today.