Growing Girl

I can't believe how big my Andie is getting! She's not even 4 and already has almost outgrown her car seat. Last week we were at the store checking out the boosters. I noticed while at Target that they are getting smart, they have a place to measure your child and then have all the seats categorized for you. What a time saver!
I couldn't help but look at the new infant seats they have out. Andie had the kind that has the base, hers was identical to the cosco car seat base. Someone gave us a different brand car seat but with this base you can use ANY designer brand infant seat. Whoever thought of the base was a genius and deserves to be a millionaire! I loved it, and it made my life so much easier especially the second time around!
When she outgrew the infant seat, I went out and got her yet another Cosco brand seat. I got the convertible Alpha Omega Elite because it can be used all the way through the booster stage and it was the highest rated with Consumer Reports that year. Yay, money saved...or so I thought. Turns out I have tall kids, really tall. My little Andie is just about too tall for the convertible car seat hence the booster shopping. Once we get the new booster purchased all that'll be left will be to add a DVD player with two screens to the back seats!

I Wanna Be a Food Blogger Too!

I love to cook. I love to think that I am good at cooking, and my husband and family are nice enough to agree. I get great joy in researching and recreating some of my restaurant favorites. On more than one occasion, I have done better than the famous dish. I could watch the Food Network all day long if I didn't have other responsibilities like, taking care of kids, cleaning, making meals, and being a devoted wife. When we lived in Utah I was able to cook A LOT. We made (almost)every single meal from scratch. I am not a huge fan of premade food and I try very hard to avoid it, in fact, on lazy days I often kick myself for not having a frozen dinner that I can just throw in the oven. When I was cooking all the time I got good at it, really good. We would have friends come over several times a week to share meals with us, because seriously, who can cook for just 2 people? They loved the food too.
If I am being honest my fist love is baking, but in the last year or two, cooking has become almost as fun. Since moving to San Diego I haven't been cooking nearly as much as I would like. You know as well as I do that cooking meals from scratch gets pretty pricey pretty quick. I love when I am watching someone chef on tv and they say something along the lines of, "a home cooked meal doesn't have to cost a fortune," I want to smack them. Unless the meal is made up of the bare essentials, it is going to cost a good $20-$40 and that times 7 is between $140-$280 a week, just for dinner! If you are anything like me, your bare essentials includes but isn't limited to, some meat or chicken in the freezer, several boxes of almost gone cereal, 20 gallons of milk in the fridge, an onion that I never got to, 15 cans of assorted foods/veggies, 10 pounds of flour and sugar, 3 bags of white rice, pasta, a few sauces, vanilla, dried basil, seasoning salt, pepper, soy sauce, 1 too many bottles of ketchup, 13 packages of hotdogs, some bread in the freezer, shredded cheese, and a half dozen eggs. I am sure you are looking at my list going, "what the?!?" I have kids, cereal is the meal of choice hot dogs are a close runner up and milk/crystal light is all they drink. I don't think that I actually know how to shop and keep my kitchen stocked with essentials. One day I will master this too.
As of late, I have become totally enthralled with food blogs. Oh my gosh, these self taught, stay at home Mommy and Daddy chefs are amazing. Where do they find the time, energy and money to make these elaborate dinners? Not only that, the chefs and their families are always rail thin! The dishes that some of these people come up with are ridiculously imaginative but what is even more impressive to me are their pictures of their dishes! Are these people closet professional photographers too? I mean, really! I try, I want to be creative, where is my gene? I guess the people who are born chefs are also born food photographers.
The day I figure out how to photograph my food creations is the day I will start a food blog. Not necessarily of recipes I have come up with, but recipes I researched, tried and succeeded with.

Confession Time

Not me, YOU!!!

I just came across this comment from a post in June. I have no idea who it is, pretty sure that's the point, but I would LOVE to find out. Come on "Vinnie", who are you? I want to say thank you for the good laugh!
-Amber


"Vinnie said...
Yo Amber, dis here is Vinnie. You prolly no some1 named Vinnie so its like we no each other alreddy. I saw your plee for help and I hope Im not to late. I would be happe to watch your little kidlins for youse. I have been gainfully employed by the State of Utah for what was expected to be 15 years, but was only 12 for good behavyur. I was such a dedicated workur that I lived where I worked. I learned how to make many things out of things that you wouldnt expect to be able to make things out of, so Im kinda like Macguyver. I lived and worked near Thanksgivin Point, which all da kidlins love, so I really no how to entertain da kids. I learned a lot while working for the State of Utah, like its just plane wrong wrong wrong to sell or traid your kids for drugs. And its even wrong to lone your kids for drugs, altho I gotta admit that I dont really understand why becuz your gonna come back for them as soon as you get your money outta da ATM. Anyway I no these things now so do not worry, I wont do any of these things no mor. Trust me. Lemme no if you still need help. Vinnie"

Andie and Brady Quotes

Sorry it's been a while since I posted quotes from Andie. Since Brady is talking up a storm he gets quite a few good ones out too. I don't always remember to write them down, but I finally realized that I could put them on my phone, which I always have with me, and now I finally have enough that I can make a full post of them.
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In the car driving to Disneyland around nap time and Brady was falling asleep, "Brady you are not tired, we are going to Disneyland mister!" -Andie

Talking about when Kate, Lauren and Molly were in town, "Yeah, we played sleeping bag roller coaster. It was really really funny and I was laughin' like crazy!" -Andie

Andie: "Mom, you have have big boobies?"
Me: "Yes."
Andie: "Well Daddy has short ones."

"Well that could be an idea mom, I'm glad you're thinkin' again!"-Andie

Andie was holding Brady in a chock hold and telling me what happened, "Brady's slerber camed out his mouth all by itself!" -Andie trying to say slobber

"Mom, Brady just squeezed my bone." -Andie talking about her arm

Andie was playing with a laundry basket and came limping in the room, "Ow ow, I was sailing the boat and I hurt my toe! Can you believe that boat?!"

While I was brushing A's hair she grabbed my necklace and in the exact voice as Capt. Jack Sparrow said, "Where did you get this?"

"Help me put on my swimmin' soup Momma." -Brady talking about his suit

"Mom, I need to go find wild animals outside!" I laughed hard at the urgency in her voice. "No no no, there's craaaaazy animals out there!" -Andie

Brady: "Can I have some gum please?"
Whitney: "What'd you say Brady?"
Brady: "My name is PRINCE CHARMING!!!"
(he's obsessed with Shrek 3)

I was fixing my skirt and Brady said to me, "Put your wiener down mom!"

"Girls have a crotch AND a butt, boys, they have a wieners."-Brady
(what can I say, he's a boy and loves potty talk, don't judge me!)