Good Morning!

This morning, as Daddy was trying his best to commute back from NYC (it took him 24 hours to get home, whew!) we decided to partake in some yummy pancakes. These were the yummiest pancakes that used straight up pancake mix with milk and ricotta cheese. Ben actually ate- which is a big feat these days! He liked helping mix the batter too! Here's to the most important meal of the day!

In the Kitchen with Ben and Maddie

Last night, Ben decided to help me out with dinner, so I took a few shots. I think he has been watching a bit too much of Food Network (thanks to Mommy) because as he is "cooking" he says things like "First we do this" and "Next..." He is quite the cook. Here he helping make a marinade for grilled chicken.

Sleepy Time

Well, sometimes in the life of a stay at home mom, one can get consumed by....well, things. In my case the thing that is kicking my busy butt this week is sleep deprivation. Like many moms, I like a schedule. Sleeping eight hours is typically what makes that schedule work like a top. In addition to that sleep, a great two plus hour nap for my children is a big part of what keeps us all happy. Lately Ben has decided to forego my plans for a tidy schedule and do his own thing, and not sleeping seems to be his activity of the day. In response to our nocturnal child, we have made big adjustments in the sleeping situation, and we are proud to share that Ben is officially in a "Big Boy Bed"! Thanks to his wonderful Dad, the bed was built Wednesday morning before he bolted off to NYC. Last night was Ben's first full night in his bed- complete with Nautica bedding and great red sheets. He woke up at 1am and 6am, but both times he went right back to sleep with a little encouragement. Today, he has decided to give up skipping his nap, and praise God, the little whirling dervish decided finally ran out of gas. Hence, my blogging. Maddie has just decided to join in on the napping, so I am ever so happy. It has been a rough week, but I have come to the conclusion, that with wars raging and natural disasters abounding, my week of no sleep is minor. Many thanks today to Cynth who helped me with Maddie while I got some much needed work done around the house.

Small Group Family Fun

Our second family is our church family. We have made some lifelong friendships through our brothers and sisters in Christ, and today was just another fringe benefit of having that extended family. We are part of a small group that meets weekly to help each other grow in our faith. Even though we are all unique, we have much in common; namely, our families. We all share the love of children while trying to juggle life. Today, we took time out of our day to enjoy Carl Cowan Park and the "splash pad". We also took time to send our sympathy and best wishes to the Gordon and White family for the recent loss of Doris's Dad. The children all pitched in and made cards, it was a great touch to our family outing. Many thanks to Lee, Heidee, and Lori for providing the art supplies. Parkway Church of Christ is a great place for families of all shapes, sizes and ages. I hope and pray we will grow in our walk every day.

It's Tomato Time in Tennessee!

As my family well knows, besides black-eyed peas, my all time favorite food (when in season) is fresh tomatoes from the garden. (Preferably my Grandparents' garden) This year I decided to try yet one more time to grow tomatoes in East Tennessee- not an easy task. So, Ben and I put a garden in our front flower bed, where we actually get lots of sun. Besides tomatoes, Ben and I are growing a sunflower plant and watermelon. Thanks to my friend, Monogram Momma, I started the sunflower and watermelon seeds in a nifty, all natural way by using empty whole egg shells to start the seedlings. After they sprouted, we planted them all in the ground. Two plants actually survived, and I think one watermelon vine is just fine, otherwise it may have taken over our house. I also discovered a nifty device called the topsy turvy tomato planter. It is hanging off my back deck, and seems to be doing fine, although it is not yielding as many tomatoes as promised. Check it out! We are actually going to have fresh tomatoes soon. Ben has sure enjoyed watering the plants and watching them grow.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Last night we decided to partake in a great American pastime- Baseball. The Tennessee Smokies were playing Jacksonville for an evening game, and to top it all off, it was Elvis night! Even though we got there at the second inning, it didn't seem to phase Ben as he was quite mesmerized with the hitting and catching. Maddie was a jewel, and sat thru the entire game without even a fuss. Ben also discovered the joys of baseball concessions, as he enjoyed popcorn, peanuts and even scored a Smokies bat and ball! After the game, Ben got to run the bases, and with a little help from Dad, he made a homerun! It was a great night.

A New Day- A Reason to Celebrate

Today, Sunday, was typical. In our rush to get dressed and get out of the house to church, a meltdown of sorts ensued. It all started when I tried to get a photo of Maddie in her frilliest frock given to me by a friend. I wanted to document it to send her a photo. Ben was having a "moment" and as I was trying to get him in the picture as well. He wouldn't get in the picture, then cried when he couldn't get his photo made! It was maddening.

Brothers and Sisters

You know how every family has one of those photos of the early interaction between siblings? Well today Ben and Maddie were hanging out in my bed, and I paused and clicked some shots. They made me think of an early photo of my brother and I. Maddie has found her tongue recently, and today she even learned to make noise while sticking out her tongue. What a blessing this son and daughter are to me!

Maddie Gets Equal Billing!

I was noticing that our newest family member was not getting equal time here-It' s just that a toddler offers many more "kodak moments" than an infant I suppose. Today, as Ben was painting in his garage "studio" she was showing her sassy side, and dancing in her bouncy seat. We called it the Maddie Dance.

One Creative Afternoon

This afternoon was one of those days that seemed to linger a little longer due to the sweltering heat. Ben seemed really into painting, so we went full force with creativity, and decided to paint most anything available. We then wrapped up the day by playing in the sprinkler. I especially liked the grand finale with Ben riding his Harley Davidson scooter, sans clothing, with body paint yelling "Rock and Roll!".

Fun Times with Nature

Well once again, I am reminded that days are ever so fun with a toddler if you have a plan. Today, we decided to embrace nature, recycle, play in one of Knox County's great parks. Do I sound like a tree hugger or what! This is a great idea if you have lots of formula can's that are just being thrown away. We took one of the Enfamil cans and Ben painted it, and then we took it to the park for our "Nature Walk" to collect things to put in our "Nature Can". Ben was having fun at Cove Park when he soon noticed the "beach" that is so inviting. He quickly became enamored with mommy building a "wall" of sand and then "smooshing" it. Luckily I had some sunscreen, as it was sweltering. Luckily, he didn't insist on getting into the lake, but he really enjoyed the beach. Maddie was a trooper and enjoyed her morning bottle and hung out on the picnic blanket while Ben and I played in the sand. We then hopped into our double stoller and took off to find acorns and yellow leaves. After explaining that dog poop did not need to go in our nature can, we had a great day!