Beautiful Beans

Bear with me for a moment as I have one of those gushing moments where I show you a picture of my child and tell you just how smart, fun, and amazing she is. I have a friend who is starting up a photo business (Alpha Cubed Photography) and while she starting up she's offering an amazing deal: a photo shoot at location of your choice, including a CD of your photos (edited) and the rights to print them however you choose for a whopping $50! How could I refuse helping a friend start a business and get photos like this?

I now have professional quality photos of my favourite little girl to show off as I please! And if you were wondering she's been doing great. Talking and singing up a storm, becoming a picky little eater (loves cheese, noodles, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, strawberries, and pickles... and that's about it), enjoying "living" in her second hand Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, and  fighting sleep like a heavy weight champ. She's going to be two in just about two months and is becoming more like a little girl instead of a little baby every day. It's like having pure joy run around my living room, asking for "beeries", "chese", and "nulk" and to be picked up.

Hippo Week... It's Back!

It's Tuesday! Day two of hippo week! Yeah, sorry I fell off there. But the next four days, I will bring the hippos!

Look at the hippo baby! Be in awe of it's little hippo cuteness. Baby hippos are born underwater. They have to swim to the surface to take their first breath. Hippos also nurse underwater and will ride on their mommies backs! Hooray hippo babies!

Soup!

You probably don't know this about me, but I really like soup. I'll go to a restaurant and order soup as an entree. I'll eat hot soup in July. I really like soup. Which leads me to tell you one of the many reasons I love autumn: soup.

It's finally that time of year here when it's cold enough to enjoy soup and people don't think I'm "weird". So what's for dinner? Potato soup! What did we have last night? Stir fry with egg drop soup! I might just have chili tomorrow. Or maybe tortellini soup! Or even black bean!

Soup weather, I love you.

It's "Unofficial" Hippopotamus Week!

That's right. I'm declaring the first week of October "Hippopotamus Week"! You want to know why? Well, there's this hoax going around about a Thai circus performer (a little person) that bounced off a trampoline into a yawning hippo's mouth. The dwarf triggered the hippo's gag reflex causing the hippo to swallow. Thus, the hippo ate the performer.

Both Museum of Hoaxes and Snopes report this to be false. For some reason it keeps cycling around as fact. From what I've learned about hippos is they're mostly herbivores. They do on occasion eat carrion if it's close to the river bank, but people? If you get killed by a hippo, you'll be trampled. It happens. More often than shark attacks. At least that's what I've read. But I'm not an expert, I'm just a blogger.

Here's to the hippo! Hope you enjoy Hippopotamus Week here on When Life Gives You Potatoes!

What Can I Say?

This is one of the very first photos I took with my camera on my computer. So much has changed, but is so much the same. I live in the same house, but the walls are a different color. The lamp in still there, but in a different spot. I still make "bottles" for the baby, but they're sippy cups and filled with milk not formula. She still eats crunchy things, but they're usually pretzels or Goldfish Crackers. The baby still plays with remotes, but it's usually when she's trying to figure out how to turn on Little Einstein. The baby still, well... my baby. But she's walking and talking and about twice the size she is in this photo. Not to mention she has a lot more hair now.

I still love her. But I think I love her more and more everyday. My little Tookie Bean.

The Perfect Bacon

Been meaning to post this for a while. I made bacon. And though I feel that bacon is always beautiful, I found these slices to be distinctly so. The weren't burnt, nor chewy. Just beautifully, deliciously crunchy bacon slices. They were enjoyed by the whole family.

Bacon, how I love thee. Thanks for being so, good.

Couch Potatoes

The other day, Jas came home bearing gifts of pretzels. He handed the opened bag to Beans and plopped down to cuddle. Of course when Daddy comes home it's generally time for some cartoons too.

So here's sleeping Daddy and couch potato Beans.

Normally this type of behavior is something I discourage, but he was so tired and she was so happy. She would occasionally stop to point out that Daddy was next to her. And they were so cute. Would you disturb them?

Gah Daddy!

It's official. Beans love "Gah Daddy". We saw my dad over the weekend. Within 24 hours she was following him around and shouting "Gah Daddy". And I'm pretty sure you can see clearly from the photo, Gah Daddy adores his tiny Beans.

This photo is one of my favourites of the whole event. It was taken just after they had finished playing in the rain. They were soaked with rain and happiness.

I think these two are going to be buddies. Just maybe, you know?

I Made It Over 25 Years!

What have I managed to do for that long? Not get stung/bitten by a bee, wasp, hornet, etc. But that all changed today. Something got me.

I was minding my own business, just put the baby down for a nap, and opened the front door to get the mail (baby monitor in hand, mind you). And then... whoa Nelly! Pain, ouch, pain, pain pain! In a half hour I'm sure I cussed more than I have in the past year total. If I couldn't have made a sailor blush, I could have surely made one giggle.

Instant stinging! Like jumping around in the front yard, flailing and going berserk. It felt like pulsing fire. This leads me to believe (from the research I've done) it was a wasp sting. Supposedly the burn... a lot.

Best part... I had no clue what to do! I thought about using an expired EpiPen. I called my husband, no answer. I call my dad, he's not sure. He made a call to a nurse friend, but while I waited I called two other people for advice, posted questions in two forums, and managed to google first aid for stings.

Long story short. I didn't jam the EpiPen in my leg and I think I'm going to be just fine. I wrapped in a vinegar soaked baby burp rag, took some ibuprofen, cleaned it with soap and water, applied ice for 20 minutes, then smothered it in baking soda paste and bandaged it. I think I covered the first aid.

Now I'm debating whether to have it checked by a doctor or just keep an eye on it. I'll probably just watch it. It's swollen, red, burning, and all out irritating, but isn't that bad... I think. As long as it's not oozing pus, turning strange colours, or making me delirious with fever, I'm sure it will be fine.

So heres to you little bug that bit or stung me. You've ended an era. Thank you?

Wheee!

About a week ago, we made a family trip to the park. We prefaced our enjoyment of swinging and sliding with lunch and ice cream. Beans wasn't into the lunch so much. She ate a pickle slice and that's about it. But she was totally down with the ice cream. It is her new obsession. She asks for it for breakfast (and sadly, Mommy and Daddy deny this request).

She was very happy swinging. Almost the entire time she said "wheee" on a loop. Until she started saying "M". This puzzled us at first, but we soon realized she was pointing at the bike rack which was indeed shaped like a lower case m.

My little blonde carbon based unit of perpetual happiness.

New Do

Or maybe it is a do not. I like it. Napalm orange and bleachy blonde. You only live once and hair grows back. Unless you're going bald. But then there's always Hair Club for Men.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Little Miss Beans has an ear infection which means antibiotics. Not a favourite around here. Anything we have to give her in a syringe is bad. It could be sugar water, but it's still not going to happen.

So the first night of medication, Mommy and Daddy had to hold poor Beans down and fight to get it down. It was horrendous. There was a lot on her, her daddy, and me. I'm just not sure about in her.

Later, I tasted the stuff. And nearly gagged! I can't blame her for not wanting to take it! I wouldn't want to either. It's like bitter, chalky goo with a slight hint of citrus or tropical fruit flavor. What pharmaceutical genius thought of that concoction for a kid!? I know it's medicine, but come on! It's not like finding a cure for the common cold... just make the stuff taste good!

So the next morning I had an epiphany after trying to fake her out by putting it in the straw of her sippy cup (which actually got 2 mL in her). I thought lemonade! She loves it and it would cover that awful bitterness with a little extra sugar. I got online and found nothing saying mixing citrus with it would be bad (if you're considering doing this please check with your pharmacist - I am not a medical professional) so to the kitchen I went.

A squeeze of lemon, a ¼ teaspoon of sugar, a ¼ cup of Country Time Lemonade, and 3 more mL of medication. And then I ask Beans if she wants some lemonade. Her response? "Lem-made!"

Sucked the whole thing down! Victory! It seems to be working still. If we can keep it going to 8 more days, we'll be golden... like sunny, delicious, lemonade.

I've always heard that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. And I've always felt that if life gives you lemonade, you just sell it. But now I've learned for certain that if life gives you a toddler with an ear infection and medication that tastes like a sadistic, parent-torturing chemist flavoured it (i.e. life giving you lemons), make lemonade and give it to the toddler.

I Love This Man

Going through some photos, I found this one. It's not the best photo of either of us. Let's face it. I have my tongue sticking out. But it reminds me of how great the man sitting next to me is. He is awesome. He can cook. He can fix anything. He's like a one man contractor. He can forge metal and weld. He's artistic but tone deaf and can't dance. He even rubs my feet though I won't touch his. He makes our baby girl and me laugh uncontrollably at times. 

And I love him madly. 

Baby Update: 18 Month Check Up

We made it through another visit to the doctor. This one was far more eventful than all the ones before. Why? Let's just say that adorable grinning girl is stronger and smarter than I imagined.

We went into the waiting room where it was all smiles and giggles. Nothing bad has ever happened to her in the waiting room. Then the dirty diaper hit the fan and we walked back to the exam room.

As soon as I started taking her shirt off, she started getting upset. She remembered what happens when she's in the exam room... shots. She didn't want to lie down so they could measure her height (which came in right under 33 inches). She didn't want to stand on the scale to measure her weight (which is 27.2 pounds).  And then came the doctor.

She was nice, but to make things more uncomfortable it was one of the doctors we've only seen maybe twice before. Beans was being poked and prodded by a stranger. She was pissed, but we survived. Even though I had to hold her in my lap with my arms around her head to check her ears... and every check was like that.

And shots. Wow. She recognised that silver tray instantly. I had to hold her chest and arms while the nurse held her legs between her knees. You wouldn't believe the shade of red this child turns when she's angry and scared and in pain.

But we made and she good for the next six months. Unless of course she gets sick in the meantime. But until then, we'll enjoy six months of no baby doctors. Here's to a healthy little girl.

Christmas Is Over

So Christmas came early this year. And will come again in six months. 

We set up our tree. We rocked Christmas songs and discovered they make rap Christmas music. We baked Christmas cookies. We had egg nog. Yes, my mother-in-law makes the most awesome egg nog and she whipped up a batch for the occasion. And what summer Christmas party would be complete with out burgers, hot dogs, and pulled pork?

We also played Dirty Santa or White Elephant. I'm still not sure if there is a difference, but I ended up with two fantastic beer steins. And of course I "stole" them from some one else playing. Because I'm dirty... or an elephant. Maybe I'm a dirty elephant?

And to top off the evening, I went down the Christmas Slip and Slide. The photo is from the first run. I went three times. And that was after only 2 beers. As you can see from my expression, I planned on it hurting much more than it did. It really wasn't that bad. I even talked Heather into trying it. She was less than thrilled, but an 

excellent sport.

All in all, a great Christmas in July. Hope to do it again next year. Merry July to all.

Christmas in July!

That's right. You heard me. We're dragging the fake tree down from the attic and decking the halls. Or our friend's back yard. We've decided that, this year, July 25th will be Christmas in July. 

It's something I've always wanted to do. Ever since I can remember, the novelty of it has made my brain tingle. I actually have friends that find this as amusing as I do, so my silly little idea will come to fruition in less than a week. 

We're grilling and decorating a tree. And there will be obnoxious Christmas music. Ho ho ho!

Dinner... Tomorrow?

I thought ahead, which for me is rare. But I pulled pork chops out of the freezer last night. I put them into the crock pot this morning with apricot preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, garlic powder, ginger, and mandarin oranges. Then I get a phone call from Jas. 

We're going to his parents for dinner. Tonight. Family is in town. I can understand that. So we'll eat this tomorrow. With rice and green beans. But I don't have to cook tonight... oh wait. I already did.

Baby Update: Much Ado About the Potty

Beans is now a year and half old. And I'm ready for potty training. But as you know there is always a but...

The toilet in our house is sad. It is sad because Beans won't put her cute little bum on it. At all. It only results in a nude, hovering butt attached to an arched back which is attached to a neck which houses vibrating vocal chords and holds up a darling blonde head and angry red face. Yeah. She just screams.

So I fear that she may just not be ready even though I am. I don't like diapers. Bad for the planet, bad for my wallet, and ever filling my trash can. I'm done.

MISSION: Figure out how to get that powder white booty on the porcelain throne.

I Call Shenanigans!

I got a phone call from a number from area code 423. They knew my name and said I'd won a $1000 shopping spree. I was "offered" magazine subscriptions for the price of shipping and handling only and told my $1000 would arrive in the mail in 3 to 5 business days. All they "needed" was to confirm my credit card number and expiration date. 

What made this one tricky is that they claimed to be from "American Publisher" which is a real BBB registered company with an "A" rating. I called the number the BBB had and asked if they had offices in Tennessee (which is where that number is from) and they said absolutely not. They are based in Illinois (and the two representatives I talked to were very nice). If you get a call DO NOT give them your info! Call the police and report them please!

However I do have to say that if this a legitimate company and I'm wrong, I apologize. The cops won't bug you and I'm just out $1000. So really if you're not trying to steal my credit card information, it's my loss.

But it's like they say, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, it's probably not a moose.

Random Thursday

Yeah, I've missed a couple. 

Random is an adverb.

I'm struggling here.

Laundry to the Left of me, Laundry to the Right...

Here I am, stuck in the middle folding. Yes, it's now Thursday. I forgot to blog yesterday and Tuesday. As a favourite writer of mine once said, my ambition is hadicapped by my laziness. But I have good news. I've done at least two loads (washed, dried, folded, and put away) each day. I'm making progress. My husband can get dressed in the morning without asking where the clean socks are. I still have some work to do. Starting on the piles of sheets today. My sister and her boyfriend are coming for the weekend and I need to get some serious cleaning done along with clean sheets on the bed.

Till then, my peoples, let the washing machine spin.

I'm A Washing Machine

During nap time alone, I folded 4 loads of laundry and have one drying and one washing. That's a bunch of dirty clothes... and there's more.

Until it's ALL done, I'm going to update my blog daily and make myself feel bad when I don't do any. You should feel free to heckle me on those days. Hopefully I won't give you the chance.

Having said that, I have to go get a load out of the dryer and one into the dryer and then get the baby girl up.

*As a side note: The laundry in the photo is not mine. I liked the image.

Where's Yiyi?

Hi there! Miss me? I've missed you. Really, I have. A little.

Nothing personal, but I've been too busy and hot to miss blogging. And with a cute little water bug (like the one in the photo to the right) who could miss anything?

We've been swimming, we went to the zoo, we been playing in the sand box and the kiddie pool. We've been having a blast. 

It's also been hot. If you haven't figured it out, we live in the south-east United States. And it gets sickeningly hot here. I've lived in Cairo, Egypt and the heat there is more tolerable than it is here. It's the humidity. It's like walking around in a hot bathroom that someone just took an hour long shower in. It's hot and gross. But if you like that sort of thing, great. Some one should. Thank you for taking that bullet for me.

But Beans doesn't mind the heat of humidity. As long as there's water or people she happy as a clam in a frog shaped pool.

Random Thursday

You know I missed one. I know it too. But that's okay. We all make mistakes.

For today a random haiku from RandomHaiku.com.

Germany challenged

until the luggage imagined

and the papers went

Have a nice day and thank you for reading.

Memorial Day Weekend

We made an impromptu Memorial Day weekend trip to Mississippi. My dad had to work, but was happy to spend any and all the time he could with his little granddaughter. 

We didn't do much to rant about. We saw a few friends, ate chili and deer roast, and played. Beans had a blast and by the end of it was trying to say "Grand Daddy" which ended up sounding more like "gablabla" but it's a start and made my dad very happy.

On a more solemn note, just wanted to acknowledge all those out there that we've lost in military service. And not just Americans, any one serving their country's people. And my sympathies to all those who've lost parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and the like. My heart and gratitude goes to you all.

Back to something a little more perky. I think I have taken the single most adorable photo of my dad with Beans. She's holding his hand. It made his weekend.

Title Unimportant

Yesterday, Beans and I were going about the usual. And she wondered into the kitchen (where she likes to play in the Tupperware) and I always follow. Yesterday, I lagged behind. When I rounded the corner, this is what I found.

Just check out the gems in this photo. But please ignore

 the floor and the tile backsplash. They came with the house, I loathe them, and look forward to the day they are replaced! To understand the absurdity of this photo, you have to understand that I have a 26 pound, 32 inch tall, 16 month old and a professional Kitchen Aid 5 quart mixer. So both of those thing that are so perfectly fitting in my cabinet are huge. The cabinet is what make them look small!

Maybe this should go on Picture is Unrelated. Then again, it's not that bizarre. I'm just a big fan of the items in the cabinet.

Tweet Tweet!

That's right. I'm a follower... quite literally. I'm now on Twitter. You can read my blog and see what I'm doing every 15 minutes! There is even a Twitter widget on my page now (bottom of the left column).

What will they come up with next?

Random Thursday

Ah Thursday. You want some randomness? How's this for random? 

That adorable little child in the photo to the right... she's been waking up between the hours of 1 and 3 AM for about a week now. Why it that random? Well it started randomly. I have no idea why. She wakes up, screams, I rock her for about 20 minutes, and then she's fine. But then I'm awake. And very sleepy the next morning. 

Here's something else random for you. Did you know that according to Listverse, the record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes? It happened during a "rocking chair marathon". They say that record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses. 

Sounds a lot like being a mommy. A whole lot like being a mommy.

Random Thursday

It's Friday. Which means that yet again, I have blown Random Thursday... I efforts to make up for this I offer you this random photo from Picture Is Unrelated. It's a fantastically funny site. And very very random. There are however some "adult-ish" photos, so be sure your audience is appropriate. 

Random Question Thursday... It's Hopeless!

Yet again, I've forgotten. I haven't really forgotten. I've thought about it, just didn't get around to it. That sound great. I'm not forgetful, I procrastinate! Fantastic.

I started "Random Question Thursday" in the hopes that it would spur me to write more. It's only made me feel more like a procrastinator/amnesiac. So I'm changing "Random Question Thursday" to simply "Random Thursday". 

It's like the previous Thursday blog, but promises to be more random. I'll post what ever strange, odd, random thing I feel like on Thursdays. A picture, a story, a comic, a link, something random.

So check back on Thursday to see if I've kept my promise... or procrastinated yet again.

Fever and Rashes and Bruise... Really Suck!

The goofy girl has had quite a weekend. And not necessarily a good one. Eventful, educational, but not good.

Friday night we had the pleasure of having a small dinner-esque event with an install. Bean's presence was 

requested too. She ate mini pita with hummus, cheese, sausage, ravioli, and played with a doggie (and couldn't decide if it was a cat or indeed a dog because it had pointed ears). She had a blast... right up until she fell down 2 and a half stair and face-planted into brick. Yeah, the picture to the left shows her beautiful blue bruises, her divine abrasions, and her glamorous goose egg. She's fine and it acutally turned out to be the least troublesome part of the weekend.

Fast forward to Saturday. Anh and I decide to take Beans to the Inman Park Festival. I put SPF 50 sunscreen on her. But after her nap later that day, her face is red and splotchy. Apparently I missed a few spots and she got a sun rash (or so I thought).

Then Sunday afternoon, we had our friend Luke over and his new lady friend (who is quite awesome might I add). Then Beans gets up from her nap, which lasted a very long time, and was super cuddly. And hot. Very febrile hot. One hundred-three point five degree to be exact. And that sun rash... yeah, it spread all over her body.

So long story short, at 10:00PM, after a two hour trip to the urgent care center, she was wiped out, Jason was wiped out, I was wiped out, we were out $75, but had established that she did not have strep. The doctor thinks she has a virus and told us to keep her temperature as low as possible... lots of ibuprofen, cool drinks, cool compresses (which she does not enjoy), and cool baths.

This morning she slept in and woke up with a fever of 101.3F with out ibuprofen - safety zone! She still has a rash, but I'm thinking she's over the worst of it - knock on wood!

Broom Broom!

First the cart then this. Now she wants to help the hostess at the noodle house sweep. Can't accuse her of being lazy.

Baby Update: We've Made It 15 Months!

Beans had her "15 month" (or 1 year and 3 months) appointment yesterday. 

She's just over 31 inches tall and weigh a few ounces over 26 pounds. That's out her over the 75% for height and just under the 95% for weight. She is not any where near being considered over weight.

She got a shot and we declined one (which we may end up getting later). We just didn't think the chicken pox shot was all the necessary. She cried for less than a minute when the nurse gave her the shot and was smiling and waving by the time we left. She's been a little fussy, but so am I when I have to get a shot.

The verdict: she's a big, healthy, happy girl.

Because the Guts Need Fuel

I needed to eat lunch. I wanted something quick. So I opened and nuked a can of Bush's Original Baked Beans. Then I poured milk, yoghurt with honey, and a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast into a tumbler and mixed the aforementioned ingredients together with this awesome electric stirring thing. That's nutrition!

Designated Driver

This has to be one of the funniest things I have seen this child do. She is actually pushing the cart. I was only steering. She was doing nearly all the work. She pushed the cart pretty much up until we got to the checkout. 

She also paused from time to time to rearrange the Coffee Mate in the dairy section and to compare ketchups. She was also hell bent on the fact that she thought we needed about 6 cans of stock which she was very unhappy to leave behind.

And thanks to Anh, we have a photo of this hilarity.

 

Dressy Easter Beans

Here are a few Easter shots of Beans in her frilly Easter outfit that her Ahma (her paternal grandmother) bought for her.

Chocolate Coated Beans

Beans enjoyed her first ambulatory Easter. Just thought I'd throw up some photos. This was Bean's Easter basket discovery and chocolate bunny breakfast.

Baby Update: Snip Snip Chop Chop Bang Bang

Or... Beans got a hair cut! We've said good-bye to the baby mullet! It actually took two cuts, but I'm feeling lazy and only posted the final result. 

Jason and I decided to cut her bangs a few days ago. He felt bad for her because they were always in her eyes. I agreed. So he held her and I snipped away.

It was cute. But I couldn't shake the feeling it looked even more like a mullet. Then my sister threatened to drive to Atlanta if I didn't fix my poor child's hair. I laughed it off until our friend 

and neighbor Robbie dropped off our mail and said something about it. 

The simple fact that my sister and

 Robbie both agreed with me was enough to give me the courage to chop the back. So out came the scissor and with Robbie's assistance, Beans got a full fledged hair cut.

To the left is the end result. Robbie put the barrettes in her hair to help convince me she does not look like a little boy. Jason is not quite yet convinced. But how did Beans feel about it? Please note the photo to the right.

Random Question Thursday... I Forgot Again

I remembered at a point when I couldn't get to my computer. But here it is on Friday.

Blogger asks: Please describe how you could take the peel off an apple all in one go:

Kels answers: Very slowly. Very very slowly. Or get some one else to do it.

Have I Mentioned This?

I love "Everyday Food" on PBS! And yes, I have mentioned it before here on my blog. But I have found another reason to love those simple yet delicious recipes being fed to me by soft spoken cooks.

Yesterday, Beans was having a rough time. Molars are growing. You can imagine the blood 

curdling wails that accompanied nap time. So I did what mothers do and held her and snuggled her on the couch hoping to lull her to sleep... when I had a great idea. I don't like to do much TV with the Bean, but Everyday Food was on. It soothes me, so why not her? 

Fifteen minutes. That's it. Fifteen minutes, two recipes and she was out! As I have said it before... I love you Everyday Food.

She's a Graffiti Artist

Check this out. These are Beans first tags. Tags? Yes, tags. I call them tags because they were done somewhere they weren't supposed to be and when I was not looking. I have a little tagger. 

I'm actually quite impressed by them. The one on the door (photo to the right) has a very timid feeling to it. The photo only shows a portion of the actually work, but I wanted to highlight the delicateness of the marks. I find this interesting because this one was the first. How do I know that? She was finishing the second on the wall when I came back into the room (photo to the left). It had some really nice, deliberate marks. Much passion went into it, more confidence. 

No matter how much the artist/psychologist in me enjoyed the scribbles, it does not change the fact that she drew on the wall.

Luckily, her medium is Washable Crayola Crayons. 

Mug Cake Remake

Back in September, I came across this "genius" idea. Mug cake. That's right, a cake you bake in a mug. You put all the ingredients in a microwave safe mug, mix, nuke, and three minutes later... cake!

So then I go to try it... with missing ingredients. I made my own substitutions and ended up with a "mug cake mistake". However, I vowed to one day return to this idea.

As promised. I did it again. I used a Pyrex bowl and self-rising flour instead of all-purpose. Yes, I made changes again. I couldn't help myself. And this was the result.

It was still kind of chewy, a bit dry too. I was thinking I could make a glaze for it, but that would defeat the purpose of having a cake you can make in three minutes. It was better this time. As Jason said, it's actually edible - even though we ate the "mistake" cake too. 

I guess I'll just have to try again!

April Fooled No One

So this was my own take on an April Fool's joke. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be fooling anyone (and I didn't) but thought that Beans might enjoy the colour and Jason might enjoy the thought. 

What is it supposed to be? The website I got the idea from suggested making a meat loaf in a round pan and using whipped mashed potatoes as icing... so I went with cupcakes and blue mashed potatoes. 

Though it looked very... blue, Beans would not touch the potatoes. She loves potatoes! She preferred the meat and veggies. I can't say that I blame her. 

The best part of this meal was the simple fact that Jason had to take left overs to work for lunch the next day. Could you imagine eating blue mashed potatoes in a testosterone charged iron working shop? 

Hot Summer Trend

Yellow tees and bear feet slippers.

You'll see.

I'd buy yours now.

Random Question Thursday... in Spirit

Yeah, I forgot again. Yesterday was a tough day... but I won't keep you waiting.

Blogger asks: You've just written a hit musical! How will you keep fame from going to you head?

Kels answers: Easy. No one ever knows who write those things... I'd just sit back and collect the dollars.

And there you go.

Random Question Thursday

Let's cut to the point.

Blogger asks: That can't really be a fish you're standing on, can it?

Kels answers: No. I'm not standing.

The Mommy Network

If you're a mom and you haven't heard of The Mommy Network, I suggest you check it out. It's a really cool forum where you can ask literally hundreds of other mom's questions and get advice and unbiased opinions. And the organize meetings and play dates (super awesome for mom's like me that find themselves at home with no adult conversation for long periods of time). 

They recently started a blog. You can visit it here. And you can see my first article as a guest writer here.

New Blog

I've started another blog. This (the one you're currently reading) is my personal blog. I like to post things about my life and my world in general. And of course my Beans.

Pandering to my need for artistic expression, I've started another blog: Stories of Minutia. It's going to be a collection of the things that make me feel good - or bad, as I feel that art should evoke emotions, good or bad. It's a collection of the minutia that I call art.

I enjoy it. Art is something that I do for myself. And if you enjoy it too, that's fine by me. I don't mind sharing.

Ikea Brain Freeze

That's about it in a nut shell. I went to Ikea. I was there way too long. Now my head hurts. But I only spent $36 and think I found my new dinning table.

That is all. Thank you.

Baby Update: Size Five Raaawr!

She getting bigger and bigger. My little Godzilla baby. 

A month ago I went to buy some shoes for her. She wasn't with so I asked the clerk what size one year olds usually wear. She tells me that moms come in all the time and buy size 2 for the kids. So I get a 2. It's half the size of her foot.

I got back. Again with out her. I find a different pair in a size 4. I get it home and it's like stuffing a baby elephant into a Beetle. It could work, but it's going to be tight.

So back I go. This time with Beans in tow. They measure her foot. She a size 5. That's no longer a baby size. It's a child's size.

She also weighs enough now to take children's (not infant's) Tylenol and Motrin. So I guess she's officially a child now.

And for the record, that expression in the picture is a happy face. It's her hysterically happy for no real reason face.

Random Question Thursday

It's Thursday! And I'm answering the random question! On the right day!

Blogger asks: What's the most amount of sand you've ever had in your swimming trunks?

Kels answers: I've never measured, but I'd say several tablespoons at least.

Random Question Thursday... But Not on Thursday, Again

Yeah. So I'm not the best with keeping up with this. I'm sure it's killing you. My apologies.

Blogger asks: What's the best time you've ever had licking stamps?

Kels answers: I don't remember the last time I licked a stamp. They've been self-stick for years now.

Tah-dah!

The Present

One of the greatest things in my life is getting to experience moments like this everyday and occasionally catching them with my camera.

Random Question Thursday

It's Thursday and that means random question!

Blogger asks: How do you pronounce the 'g' in bologna?

Kels answers: Like the 'g' in log. Bah-log-nuh!

And there you have it. Another random question from blogger to me and from me to you.

Baby Update: Teeth and Bruises and Scrapes

Yes, it's that time again. It started in Mississippi. Beans has a second molar coming in. She's seriously fussy and grumpy and running a low grade temperature. It's just broken through the gum. She's really enjoying chewing on ice. And she actually said "ice" today. 

And speaking of new discoveries, she can now identify a nose and half way identify a mouth. She did mouth twice, but nose she knows.

And the bruises and scrapes she is so proudly displaying in the photo to the right are from her first full on encounter with pavement. Yes, little Beans was walking down my dad's drive way in Mississippi and got some serious momentum going. And it was too much. Face plant into the pavement. She handled it like a pro. She cried (wailed) for about 5 minute and then was cool. It's almost completely healed already too.

She also met the car door on the way home. She pulled this awesome maneuver in my arms and manage to connect her maxilla with the corner of the car door. Some tears and wailing, but she's tough.

Tough and cute. We're in for it.

Beany Kisses for Grand Daddy

She figured out kisses this week. Here is my dad kissing the door and Beans kissing back. How I had my camera... luck?

This probably made my dad's day too. He's on his blue tooth, taking business. It wasn't a good week for him between work and my grandmother (his mum) being ill. 

But his first (and only thus far) grandchild gave him kisses.