"Blueberry something" and I love you...

We have developed quite the routine for E at bedtime - something that I've found seems to be the case with many toddlers and their families. Our routine consists of many "normal" things: brush teeth, jammies on, pick out storybooks, stories with Mommy and Daddy, prayers and bedtime hugs and kisses. I am usually the one to actually tuck E into the bed, and we've also developed a weird little series of kisses, hugs and nose-rubs (Eskimo kisses?) that she insists on at bedtime, too.

One night at bedtime, after aforementioned kisses and hugs, as I was leaving the room, E said "Mommy, wait....I need to tell you a secret!" She did some non-word whispering in my ear, I whispered to her that I loved her and I left the room.

But, you guessed it, this because part of our routine, too. "Mommy, let me tell you a secret!" After many weeks of non-word, non-sense whispering in my ear, E started whispering "Mommy, blueberry something....and I love you..." I asked her what 'blueberry something' means and she told me it is her secret special way of telling me she loves me so much. Augh! My heart melts! I know the day will come when "blueberry something" is long gone....but I will never forget it!

Mommy and Me Monday at the Arboretum...

Yes, we made one more trip to the local Arboretum, this time for "Mommy and Me Monday"...a fun special event that adds a petting zoo, face painting, crafts and a wealth of other activities to the already-present fabulous-ness of this beautiful place! And this time....we took Gramma! Such a fun morning!

Bring on the pumpkins...

We had so much fun at the Arboretum last week - visiting two days in a row - that we decided to go again yesterday, taking our good friends the Chambers. E loves going to the "big park" and sharing the fun experience with all of her friends. And what fun to run around with three adorable little boys in the cool fall weather! What a fun morning!

Girl Mommies...

Looking for cute Halloween hairbows for your little one? Enter this contest to win some!

He's coming....

...and we're going!

The tickets arrived in the mail yesterday. E is going to flip!

Next to E-L-M-O (whose show we saw live last year),

George is second favorite "guy!". Can't wait!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

We've been having so much fun visiting our local Arboretum,

enjoying the fall festivities and all of the beautiful pumpkins!

Singing in the tub...

E has been having a blast playing in the tub lately, namely singing her version of "Elmo Has Five Ducks"...I finally caught it on video. I crack up every time I see and hear this!

Love...

Life has been interesting around here lately, to say the least. My dear husband showed up a few days ago with these beauties....What a sweet man, I've got!

Daddy's little helper...

E recently helped Ben re-grout our bathroom (the last step in putting the bathroom back together after having a sewer leak repaired earlier this summer). I especially like her wardrobe choice - Elmo slippers are completely suitable for home repair projects, apparently!

Sweet pictures...

...of two of my favorite people...

Gramma Monday - fun day at the park

This week for Gramma Monday, we enjoyed the beautiful weather by feeding the ducks at a local park and playing on the playground. Such fun!

Domestic Diva Experiment: Slow Cooker Gumbo

Who would have thought? A gumbo recipe for the crockpot! This is super tasty. I like this a lot more than I expected to.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cooking oil
3 cups chicken broth
12 to 16 ounces smoked sausage, sliced about 1/2" thick
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 to 2 cups sliced okra
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
boiled white rice

Preparation:For roux, in a heavy 2-quart saucepan stir together flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes more or until roux is dark reddish brown. Let roux cool.

Add chicken broth to a 3 1/2 to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in roux. Add sausage, chicken, okra, onion, green pepper, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.Skim off fat. Serve with hot cooked rice.Makes 6 servings.

Note: for chicken, I cook whole chickens in the crockpot and make my own chicken broth in the crockpot with the bones etc., so of course that added more flavor to my finished product. For this recipe, I crocked a whole chicken together with some chicken sausages - it made the chicken have a smoky flavor. Then I shredded the chicken and sliced the sausages for use in the soup. Yum!

A haircut always make a girl feel better...

Trashy talk...

I find it humorous that our little girl loves library books about trashmen. It seems like such a boy thing, but she adores these two books -- if your a mom of a tot...boy or girl...check these out!

1. Smash, Mash, Crash, There Goes the Trash! by Barbara Odanaka
2. Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman