Monday, January 31, 2011

Baby Shower Happenings

I cant believe I am lame and didn't take that many pictures while I was at my cousins baby shower.  By the time I realized I hadn't taken a single picture, she was already opening gifts.  At that point in the party, my kids were acting like it was Christmas morning and tearing open gifts while I stood there horrified and nervously smiling.  Thank God she is family.  My youngest one seemed to have the best time though.  Here she is helping cousin Wendy open gifts.



She also made her way inside while we were all outside and proceeded to try to put the picture frame shaped like a flip flop on her foot.  I am pretty sure we will never be invited back to the sweet ladies house it was at, lol.



She is lucky she is cute :)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Helper

Since I have decided to start my own little business, I have been baking a lot.  And since my 2 youngest rascals are home with me during the day, I have a lot of help.  Especially from this one.


She loves helping and is so excited to use the mixer!!!!  not to mention how excited she is when people eat what she has made, she nearly hovers over you asking how good it is......I think we may have a little baker on our hands!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Controversial?

Yesterday my co-leader, her husband and myself, took all of our Girl Scouts to the San Diego Zoo.  It was cookie kick-off day and we were excited to start the season and see some animals.  When you do any sort of Girl Scout event, we always like to have our girls wear their uniform.  Recently the Girls Scouts on Camp Pendleton made some shirts, simple t-shirts so that people would know what service unit our girls are from.  Just as if you make tie dye shirts, it is just something to show off our pride of being Camp Pendleton Girl Scouts.  The shirts are camouflaged and in bright pink on the front, it says Camp Pendleton Girl Scouts.  We have always had people thank us and smile at our girls, knowing that they sacrifice their time with one or both of their parents.  However, yesterday was completely different.  I had noticed that people were looking, I assumed because #1, we were all matching and #2, they wanted to see what was on our shirts.  It was then that my co-leaders husband pointed out that people were saying things like "did you see those shirts?!!!"  and "how could they have their girls wear shirts like that?!"  I think I even heard once "those shirts are inappropriate", really?  I understand that people are against the war and don't support what our military is doing overseas, but do you really think that our girls should not be supporting their own parents who are the fighters in that war?  I am not telling my children or anybody elses what to think, all they know is that they love their moms and dads and they live on Camp Pendleton and they are proud of where they are.  Even if they grow up not supporting war, I am 100% certain they will still support their parents. When did wearing camo become so controversial?  If we lived on a farm and had farming parents, we probably would have cow print shirts, it was not about being pro-war and parading our children around the zoo to support the cause, we were there to have a good time.  And to be honest, they are children, they are children who are already self conscious and staring and making comments about what they are wearing isn't going to help them.  So, if you live near us and happen to see any of the girls wearing their shirts, just smile.  And if you are offended, please just look the other way.

UPDATE: As I was writing this, one of my dear friends was finding out that one fo her sons friends had just lost his dad who was serving in Afghanistan.  Someones dad people.  Not just a soldier fighting a war, a father and a husband who will never come home.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

How to handle "mean girls" at a young age

I say "mean girls" because I really don't feel like these girls are truly mean.  I think they are so young and there is so much out there telling them how to act even if they have the best parents teaching them otherwise.  I just get so sad that my 8 year old comes home every day talking about how she is being treated.  That girls she has called friends are kicking her out of their circle saying she is not good enough and laughing at her.  I have told her to talk to some of them, tell her how it hurts that they are being so mean, that she thought that they were friends.  We have pep talks in the morning on how she can deal with it that day, but it never fails.  I pick her up from school and ask how the day went.  I ask if she talked to her friends the way we talked about and she said she tried but they laugh, roll their eyes and run away.  And I have seen it first hand.  The dirty looks, the pushing, it angers me.  But what do you do?  I am sure that any sort of confrontation to the parents wouldn't work out.  Would they think I am taking sides and thinking my daughter is an angel?  Would they actually talk to their child and teach them how to be friends with everyone?  I don't know.  I think I am just frustrated.  My daughter has gone through so much in her 8 years, I feel like she deserves to have great girlfriends.  Friends who will have her back and not turn on her when they feel like they don't need her anymore.  How have you handled this?  Would you be open to listen to a parent who comes to you about your child?

Monday, January 17, 2011

Lovin' Oven Bakery


I sit here wondering what I have done, what is going through my head and yet so utterly excited.  I have always had a love for baking and making amazing looking cakes and cupcakes.  I have only ever made them for my friends and family, mostly for my little girls on their birthdays.  However, over the weekend I had the honor of making the cupcakes for my cousin Wendy's baby shower.  Everyone there told me how fantastic they were and yummy to boot.  It was then that my Aunts questioned me on why I am not doing this as a business.  I have had friends here where I live ask if I advertise my cakes.  I have never thought of making it a business, I have always done ti for fun.  But I have to tell you between my Aunts and the other people at the shower telling me how great they were, I couldn't sleep.  I kept getting this feeling that I need to put myself out there, no matter how nervous I am.  Does any of this even make any sense?  I am so nervous!!!  So, without further ado, let me introduce you to my new baby......Lovin' Oven Bakery.  Please take a look and if you like what you see, please follow me and tell your friends, tell your family, shout it from the rooftops :)  I greatly appreciate all of your support as I take this leap of faith!!!!!

Three Day Weekends Make Me Want To........

DO THIS!!!!!!!


This is also how my middle girl chooses to sleep these days, she is such a diva!


Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Next Big Thing


Yep, those are my irresistible little ladies playing with the youngest ones new toy.  They are so amazing that I just know they will be the next Jonas Brothers!!  I may need to yank the lollipop out of the middles mouth and possibly not have my youngest make her new "cheese" face, but I guess until that happens I will just sit back and try to not get a headache with the amazing music being played around here.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Weekend Tragedy

So I was a little uncertain on whether or not I wanted to post anything about the tragedy that happened in Arizona over he weekend.  Everything quickly turned political, calling out numerous politicians and government officials and I did not want to get involved.  Not that I don't have views on politics, I feel very strongly in my political views but I am not one to stand on my soap box unless prompted or feel the need to express my views.  However, when I woke up this morning (super early might i add, I am starting a new work out routine and I may or may not have been up at the butt crack of dawn to get my exercise on, that discussion is for another day though) and was able to watch the news (I always watch the first half hour of the Today show while my oldest eats her breakfast), it really sank in, but not in a political way.  6 people were killed and one of them included a 9 year old girl.  They said the gunman opened fire on his target (the congress woman) and then without aiming at anyone in particular, opened fire numerous times and was even getting ready to reload when he was tackled.  I feel sad for all of the families but a 9 year old girl?!  That just hit home.  My Girl Scouts range in age from 6-10, most falling in the middle region, they all have such bright futures and their dreams they want to accomplish one day are out of this world and I cannot wait to hear how they succeeded in their life goals.  So to think that one of them could be taken out of this world in a horrific way saddens me.  I remember looking over at my sweet girl eating her pancakes and thinking, she could be gone in an instant one day.  I think my mind always goes to her possibly dying of a seizure because that is a very real reality for us, but I never think about her dying from the hand of a gunmen who has a chip on his shoulder and more than likely mental issues.  I am sure that family is just reeling, waking up and for 2 seconds thinking of how awful that nightmare was, only to have the wave of grief wash over them and realize that it is not a nightmare but a reality.  I have had that pain hit me, after the loss of my brother mostly.  I was able to keep it at bay for a while but there was a day in which it hit me like a huge wave and I could barely breath.  I guess what I am saying (and I know people say it all the time) but don't take life for granted.  Make sure you tell your family and friends just how much you love and care for them.  Because no matter how much you try to protect your kids or family, it can all be taken away in an instant.  And if you are the praying kind, which I am, lift up a prayer for the families of those lost!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

What's For Dinner?


Let me start by saying that the above photo is not mine.  This recipe was so super yummy that I forgot to take any pictures before or even after I ate dinner last night.  Before hand I was too hungry and it smelled ridiculously good and after I was so stuffed I just wanted to clean my kitchen and sit down with a good glass of wine.  Needless to say, I didn't realize I didn't take a picture of my own until I was needing to put it in containers to be put into my fridge, oh well, the above picture I am sure is way prettier than anything I would have shot.  Moving on......
Dinner was fantastic last night.  I decided to make Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman's Butter Chicken.  It was ridiculously good, I think you got that from my description above.  It is not healthy by any means, it does require you to put a whole pint on whipping cream in it, but it is oh so yummy!!!  I did change things a bit for my family but they weren't anything that I feel made a huge difference.  The first big blunder I made was not reading the entire recipe and about 2 hours before I planned to start cooking, I read that you need to marinate the chicken overnight.  Mine got a full hour.  However, it was still flavorful and I loved it.  The second thing I did was after marinating, I chopped the chicken into bite sized pieces to cook it.  I was reading in some of the comments that the traditional butter chicken recipe (which is Indian I believe) has the chicken cut up into small pieces.  And lastly, I only added 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper.  I am not a huge fan of super spicy food and I know my kids would not have touched it if it were, so I cut it back.  The dinner was fantastic.  Our oldest had a friend stay the night and even she said it was great!!  I look forward to eating the leftovers!!!!
Oh, and I feel the need to mention how ecstatic I am because Ree will be out here in California next month and I plan on kidnapping my amazing friend Launa and taking her with me to meet her!!!  Here's hoping Marlboro Man and his wranglers makes an appearance, I am sure my camera could handle that, hehe.
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