Baby feet

There is nothing cuter in this world to me than baby feet. I love them! The fat little feet, the adorable little toes. . . I just want to play with them and tickle them and nibble on them. Sam has gone beyond the point of having baby feet. His feet are cute, but they are definitely little boy feet -- they are big and wide and usually stinky too. I still love them, but there's just something special about Ellen's sweet baby feet. Especially when she tries to play "this little piggy" on her own toes.

Sam

I just wanted to post this because it's so darn cute. And also because lately in every picture I've taken of Sam there's been food on his face, and in this one he had just gotten out of the bath so his face was clean. Pay no attention to the mess in the floor behind him. Just focus on that adorable impish smile.

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

I like to cook (and to eat!) so from time to time I may post a few of my favorite recipes here on the blog. You'll find that most of them have this in common -- they are easy to make, don't require tons of time or ingredients, and are generally kid friendly. Although my kids will eat anything, so your mileage may vary. Today I thought I'd post the recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip. This is a great snack potluck functions or parties (Iron Bowl party, anyone?). You will need:

1. About 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken. I like to use those frozen chicken breasts, but if you are in a hurry a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is great.
2. One 24 oz bottle of Ranch dressing
3. One bottle of your favorite buffalo sauce. I usually get either Frank's or Moore's.
4. Two 8 oz blocks of cream cheese, softened.
5. Eight oz shredded cheddar cheese

Bake the chicken til it is done. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and pull the meat off the bones. Chop the chicken into small bits and put it in the bottom of a 13x9 in casserole dish. Drizzle the buffalo sauce over the chicken; you can use a lot or a little, depending on how spicy you want it to be. In a separate bowl blend the cream cheese and the whole bottle of Ranch dressing together, then spread this mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top. Bake the whole thing in a 350 degree oven til it is hot and bubbly and the cheddar has melted. Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.

I got this recipe from a coworker and it has become a favorite weekend treat at my house. It is great to have while watching movies or sports, and as a bonus it reheats well in the microwave. Hope you like it!

P.S. If you are feeling really lazy or just want to make this ahead of time, you can just dump all the ingredients in a crockpot on low for a couple of hours (cook the chicken first!). It will still be tasty but won't look nearly as appetizing.

Ellen

It has occurred to me that while I have pictures of Sam all over the blog, I have yet to post a picture of my beautiful daughter. Lest anyone think that I have a favorite child ( I don't) Here are some pics of my Ellen in all her curly-red haired, twinkling eyed, thousand watt smile glory.



These were taken at the Botanical Gardens by an extremely talented photographer friend of mine.



And this one was taken on my cell phone the other morning. Now tell me, isn't that just about the prettiest little girl in the world? She is sweet, smart, and knows her own mind. I love that little monkey.

Dothan

Sam and I have just gotten back from an over night trip to Dothan to visit my brother and his growing family. We got to meet Taylor for the first time and I am happy to report that she is every bit as wonderful as I expected. She is so dainty, with long slender fingers and feet and an adorable dimple. Brad and Gayle are absolutely head over heels for her. And Sam is utterly smitten. We got some great pictures of him with new baby cousin.

When he saw her left hand for the first time, I tried to explain to him that it was a little different than most people's. "It's special," I told him.

He grasped her (normal) right hand. "This one is special too!" he said. How wonderful that all he could see was his precious baby cousin, perfect just as she is. It's too bad that more adults don't have that same sort of tunnel vision.

You can't take your eyes off them for a minute

It never fails to amaze me the amount of mischief my kids can plot in practically no time at all. The other day I was chatting on the phone with my brother while I thought Sam was taking a nap in my bed. I heard him moving around and so after a few minutes cut short my conversation with Brad and went to check on my kiddo. This is what I found:
















He was so proud of himself! And then a little while later he remembered that nail polish is for girls and we had to get it off right then. Except for the purple polish on his toes, which 4 days later I am still trying to completely remove. But whatever. I just had a good laugh and reminded myself to never ever ever underestimate the power of a bored 3 year old.

Taylor Ann

So, the big news for our family is the arrival of my beautiful niece, Taylor. She was born November 7 at 4:07 p.m., weighing 6 lbs 15 ozs, and 20 inches long. She has big dark eyes, sweet rosy lips, and a gorgeous dimple (so I hear; I haven't seen her yet because my brother lives 4 hours away. Yes, it stinks.) For those who may not have heard, she was also born missing 3 fingers from her left hand. This was (as you can imagine) a surprise to everyone, but her doctor tells us that it is a result of something called Amniotic Band Syndrome, which is a rare but not unheard of condition that occurs in utero. You can read all about it here . Thankfully Taylor is a healthy baby and I am confident that the missing fingers won't have too great an impact on her life overall. Brad tells me that she can use that hand pretty well already, and other than having her days and nights mixed up, she is a perfect baby. We are all so thankful that she is here and that she and Gayle are doing well.




Look at that face. Isn't she a beauty?

Welcome to Chaos Castle!

So, after all this time, I've decided to try my hand at blogging. If nothing else this will be a great way for me to journal the crazy things my two kids get up to. . . and believe me, they do! And maybe some of our long distance family and friends will be able to keep up with the things that are happening in our crazy, chaotic, and wonderful lives.

Happy reading!