My boys July 8, 2008

I have to laugh, because im a DSLR user and my camera weighs about 3 lbs… when i hold a P&S i just cant seem to take a decent photo.

SOOOO here is a shot of my boys with my P&S.

Ills July 6, 2008

What fun, my baby is sick again. He is sick by night and perfectly fine by day. If i thought a baby could fake a stomach flu i would be all over that possibility, but alas, he vomits every night.

I hope it passes quickly.

The burn on his stomach looks terrible. It has like this thick layer of white over it now. It hurts him when i put the sivadean cream on it. I almost think it looks pussy but Tony thinks its not doing too bad, so im going to watch it more carefully and change the bandage twice a day instead of once. Hopefully it just passes without incident.

Ive been sick to my stomach for the last couple days as well. Still dosent prevent me from working, but i could have really gone for laying around yesterday. Intstead I babysat and did a session with Abby ( photos up in my blog soon)

Today i managed to clean like mad, and post two recent sessions in my photoblog. check them out, they are cuties.

And now the baby is in some donuts so i must go.

Frightning 4th July 5, 2008

The morning was well. We went to the parade and then a BBQ with friends. I napped while Tony took Brennan to his moms and they lit off small fireworks. Then they came home and we went to go to the city fireworks by the pyrotechnics.

Then it all went down hill.

First Brennan dissapeared in the park. It was so frightning. There were more then 300 people there ( didnt know that at the time) And he was just gone. Finally found him near a cop some 20-30 minutes later. I thought my boy had been kidnapped. I was terrified.

Then we met up with my mom and cousins and we lit sparklers to wait for the fireworks. One fell and burned a hole in the blanket. The second, in the hands of my 7 year old cousin, burned her hand and she threw it. On Conner.

So we spent the rest of the 4th in the ER with a sparkler burn on my babys stomach. Its nasty looking but it should heal. They said to plan on scaring, its kinda a bad burn. But at least it wasnt in a really bad spot, like his face…

But let me tell you, knowing your baby has just been burned by a firework, the smell of burning flesh… its alot to deal with. Last night was a horrible night. I almost lost my son in a huge and over crowded park, then my baby gets burned by fireworks…

Its more eventful for a 4th of july then I ever wanted.

Ring in July July 1, 2008

July has always been a month of BBWs and family parties for us. The first is here and im allready thinking of when can we have our first get together. This weekend is pretty busy, but next weekend is looking good!

For the 4th, we are going to the parade, then the city sponsers a free picnic for everyone, with games and prizes for kids. After that, we are going down to the beach about 20 miles away to catch a bore tide around 5pm. On th ebeach we will have dinner then come back in time for fireworks around midnight. Maybe 10 om, i need to check the city website.

July for me is fresh leamonaid, checked table clothes and fun food like kabobs, and fruit salad. Games and family.

What is July to you? Any fun summer plans? Good food ideas? Always looking for new ones!

Fresh Bread July 1, 2008

I want to share a bread recipie for the bread machine that is just fantastic.

THe bread itself is slightly sweet, tastes almost like buttermilk bread. WIthout the butter… or the milk hehe.

If you have the time, give this one a shot, tis really good!!!

Add ingredients in this order. It works best for me!

2/4 cup WARM water, plus 2 tablespoons.

1/4 cup oil, i use corn, but any kind of oil works.

1 teaspoon dry yeast.

1/4 cup sugar

Wait for 5 minutes Then continnue

2 cups plis 3/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt.

Then turn it on. After it has risen the second time. I like to turn the machine off and back on again and start the whole process over. The bread blows up nice and fluffy. It makes 1.5 lbs of bread. I could double the recipie in my machine, but this is the origional. If i want the bread to be a bit larger, i add in a bit more flour, round it out to 3 cups, and add in a bit more water, mabe 2 more tablespoons.

But in any event, the bread is fantastic. I just had to share it.

Busy June 30, 2008

Ill admit i have been very busy. Photoshoot last week, then another of my own boys. I went camping and cleaned my whole house this weekend. Im bushed and need some time out. However if you have a spare moment, hop over to LP Photography and check out my latest shoot of 18 month old Georgia. You wont be dissapointed!

As for me. Im going to stop shamelessly plugging my photoblog this evening and head off to bed where i belong. Have a good one!

Portraits June 27, 2008

Ill admit, its the hardest thing to take photos of my own kids. Sure a snapshot here and there, and they can even be GOOD snapshots but to get some good portraits of my two monkeys? Now you are asking alot.

Well i attempted it today. Matching shirts, jean shorts and some of grammys whiskey barrel pots. So far so good, they look cute but who can tell when i get each photo opened.

But a huge thank you to my photographers assistant today, my husband, who kept the boys on their own pots, kept them smiling ( mostly) and kept my stress level down.

Love you honey.

Sharing June 25, 2008

Im actually finding it hard to teach my son how to share with so many other peoples children outside. I know it sounds strange, wait, kids mean sharing right?
Well yesterday there was my neighbors 20 month old daughter outside. Xoie. Xoie pinched and hit the baby and I said nothing. Just picked up my son, comforted him and set him down. He ran off to play. About an hour later she ripped a toy from Brennans hands and he turned and smacked her.

While he shouldent have hit her ( and was grounded for the evening.) she also shouldent have ripped the toy away. Some of it I understand, she is an only child ( for a few more months) She is very spoiled and indulged. But man you should have SEEN the looks on other peoples faces when he hit her. Honestly, i wasnt concerned with him hitting her. He knows it was wrong and was punished for it. I was very concerned with some of the things that were said to him.

Things like, you are lucky your father isnt home, he would beat the S*** out of you. And that kid needs to be beat. Umm Excuse me. He is MY child and I punished him. It was VERY hard to see everyone outside when he was stuck inside. More so, they have no right to say that. Then every time they saw me, they grumbled about my child hitting another. Furthermore, after it happened, the mother ran screaming to EVERY tenent in my complex saying Brennan hit Xoie. Now really, Why would  you do that? For one, the neighbor who told me she did that, came and told me ( we are friends) then LAUGHED in the other mothers face and said, kids are kids, they fight.

Im really frustrated by the whole situation. It shouldent have been made as big a deal as it was. He knows not to hit. However he is 4 and a selfish child, like most his age. And dosent want some other child ripping his toys out of his hands.

Sometimes, i really hate having neighbors.

June 24, 2008

I have been feeling quite down the past week or so. Stress has been getting to me and i hadnt felt like doing much of anything. But last night we got to go to the store and i picked up flour. Making bread last night, i dont know, i guess it really helped because i feel SO much better today.  Ive gotten a few things done, gotten a bit of cleaning done. Im just feeling a whole lot better.

Its funny how a person can get depressed without warning. It just comes on, and leaves just as quick. Who knows, it could have been the fudge brownies i forced myself to make yesterday, then ate 2 big ones, or the marshmellows i downed. Or even just going to the store and buying new measuring spoons ( with the flour) WHo knows. But it went just as fast as it came on, and i feel SO much better!

Making Bread June 21, 2008

I buckled and bought a bread machine. I picked up one second hand while i get the hang of making our own bread before buying a new one. I want to figure out if i enjoy it or if its just easier to pay 4 dollars a loaf for some of the special bread we eat.

It was a bit difficult because it iddint have a manual, and to make it a bit worse, there was no plane online to FIND a manual. Thankfully i found this LINK from Hillbilly Housewife that explains bread machines in general.

A side not here, Hillbilly housewife is a great site for mothers and fathers who seek a more simple way of life, they offer resipies and tips on living simpler, foods, and other fun things. They also can teach you how to live on less food a month. Its a great site and i adore it!

As for the Bread. I havent yet started my loaf as im still reading through the instructions and getting used to my new bread machine, but here is a recipie that i found online that is made for my bread machine. I figure its the best one to try first. But let me tell you, im looking forward to having cinnamon raisen bread!

Water: 3/4 cup
Bread Flour: 2 cups
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: 2 tablespoons
Butter: 1 tablespoon
Dry milk: 1 tablespoon
Dry yeast: 1-1 1/2 teaspoons

1. Pour 3/4 cup of water into the bread pan.
2. Add all dry ingredients except the DRY yeast.
3. Place the DRY yeast on top of the DRY flour. Do not mix.
4. Press the START button

“Your oven-fresh bread will be ready in 4 hours and 10 minutes. It is more convenient if you use the built-in delay timer.”

12 cup capacity= 1 lb, 1.5 lb. 2 lb of bread. Note in recipie about loaf size
Add a teaspoon or two of sugar to all breads to feed yeast.
Bread flour makes BETTER bread then all purpose.

So hopefully you will visit those links and enjoy them. And maybe get your own bread machine?