A summer of Unfortunate Events

I have not been able to keep up with blogging like I had wanted to so I will give some updates. I won't go too far into detail because I feel like a couple of the things that happened this Summer deserve their own entries. Too much to talk about. Okay, so to kick off the Summer we planned a very nice vacation in St. Augustine Florida. My parents were going to meet us out there for a few days to relax and spend time with Gavin..and us of course. The day before we leave to go on Gavin's first beach trip EVER, he dropped a huge garden stone on his poor little toe and busted it all up.  Poor thing! He did end up losing the nail on that toe. That really did no stop him from enjoying himself though. I think what killed this trip for him was Memorial Day. It will sure be a memorable Memorial Day for me!! He got bitten by a Cottonmouth snake (aka water moccasin) right on the edge of the patio!! My 20 month old baby got bit by a freaking venomous snake right in front of my face and there was nothing I could do to stop it. He is okay...don't worry. I will give all the details in another blog.  Okay, I am not done yet. My mother has also been to Hell and back This Summer. She had a routine outpatient surgery for a hernia that turned into a nightmare.  Long story short (for now..that will be a future entry too), It went from outpatient to inpatient, on and off oxygen, discharged and spent a week or so at home, ambulance, Icu, pneumonia, ventilator, oxygen, ventilator again, lung surgery,kidney failure, physical rehab in a nursing home, blood clot, walkers, canes, to now 2 months later she is starting to feel normal again. A lot to take in. All resulting from a careless physician and his staff who did not follow procedure correctly and for allowing my mother to be over medicated for what should have been a simple procedure. I have been so stressed out these last few months that my hair was literally falling out.  Here is to hoping for a better rest of 2011!!

Culinary Adventures

Those of you who have young children know what it is like to take your family out for dinner. The outing that once used to be relaxing and enjoyably can sometimes become quite the opposite.  First, your toddler decides that he will just die of starvation if he has to wait 15 minutes at a table for food, so you give him a little cup of fruit loops to hold him over or at least take his attention for 5 more mintutes. But he decides that it is so fun to shake the cup and then everyone within a 6 foot radius gets to enjoy a fruit loop or two as a side their entree.  Then comes plan B, the cereal bar, this is the one that works long enough until you get your food. The problem with that one is that he will scarf the thing down, get full and then have a meltdown because he is ready to go.  The trick to that method is to give it to him a little piece just when he is about to just freak the freak out. Yes that is the name of a song from a show on Nickelodeon.  If you do it this way, it is sure to work, and you may even get to taste a few bites of your own meal before you decide to give up and get a to go box.  I guess the easier thing to do is to take him for a little walk around outside for a few minutes while waiting for the entree, but then what is the point in going for a nice dinner out? So after 21 months of experience...yes it took me that long....I have decided that easiest thing to do is to just order it all to go or just cook at home!!! Here is a picture of our latest adventure....This poor man was his unsuspecting victim..... The wrapper went flying (from his cereal bar) and landed on this mans back, I was too embarrassed to pick it off and after about 10 minutes it somehow ended up in his pants!!

The Most Delicious Salad EVER!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 9-ounce bag of fresh spinach
• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced
• Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Directions

Combine the brown sugar, pecans and chili powder in a small saucepan.
Cook and stir constantly over medium-low heat until all of the brown sugar is melted and the pecans are coated.
Remove from heat and spread the pecans out on wax paper to cool.
Place the spinach and strawberries together in a large salad bowl.
Toss with the vinaigrette.
Once the pecans have cooled, break into pieces and sprinkle over salad

*walnuts would probably be good in place of the pecans

1 cup of halved strawberries has 49 calories, 2 tbsp of the dressing has 120 calories, spinach has 20 calories in 4 cups. The sugared pecans are where the calories really come in if you use a lot. but really you just need to sprinkle a few, remember they are broken up and you really don't need a lot at all. It just ads a little crunch and extra sweetness to the salad. Enjoy!!

My Kitchen Needs Some Spice!

I am thinking of painting the kitchen. I really like the color green we have in there now, but I feel like I need a change. 3 years of green is long enough don't you think?  So this is the color I was thinking....I absolutely love it! It is called Woodlawn Blue and it is from Benjamin Moore's historic collection.

What do you think? This is what we have now.......

Just a glimpse

So I guess this whole blog thing does not just start itself. I have had it set up and ready to go for about a month now and I have no idea how or where to get started. I was going to say that my life is an open book, but it is actually a lot of open books, or maybe one of those choose your own adventure books. Expect randomness. This is not JUST a mom blog. It is a mom blog, a wife blog, a life blog. Any and every random little tidbit I feel like sharing. I just hope my husband won't be the only  one who reads this. I love you Joey! So here goes nothing......
Gavin has been sick now for what seems like a month! Hopefully this second round of antibiotics and the inhaler will nip this in the bud.  The inhaler should be interesting...I expect to be posting pictures of that little adventure soon.  So since this sickness keeps getting bounced back and forth I have learned that I have given birth to the poltergeist. I now know to expect projectile vomiting with the slightest sign of a viral infection...yes, even common cold.  I have never been one to blow chunks so this is all new to me. In the past 2 months he has spewed more than I have in my entire life and I am learning to deal with it one towel and clorox wipe at a time.  I think I should blame my friend Daphne for always saying "Crystal Ann! Crystal Ann...come to the light!" (like Carol Ann in Poltergeist) in high school.  So since all Gavin will eat and drink are peaches and milk....my house and my family smell like Peaches and Cream Gavin style....yuck!
Note to self: When they say stick to the BRAT diet....stick to it!! (bananas, rice,applesauce and toast)