Ellen Smith, Fashion Plate

Sometimes I just feel sorry for my poor kids. . . I just have so many excellent blackmail pictures to use when they are teenagers. Take for example tonight: Ellen was such an adorable hot mess at bedtime that I couldn't resist taking a few photos and documenting her appearance for future generations.

Observe the too short night gown (leftover from last year) and the even more too short leggings. Edited to add: Doesn't she look sweet with her hands clasped to say prayers?









Let's get a closer look at that hair, shall we?


And the real fashion coup de grace. . .



She insisted upon wearing these boots to bed.

That's my girl, a fashion trendsetter!

Happy Birthday to Sam!

My sweet baby boy turned four years old on the 1st of this month. . . He is not a baby at all any more, but a cheerful, handsome, smart little boy with opinions and ideas all his own. This is wonderful, but it also makes me want to cry sometimes. It's true what they say; kids just grow up too doggone fast.

So today we celebrated with a small family party at Nana's house. Cake, sherbet, and potato chips, plus cousins to play with, and of course, lots of presents!

Sam wanted a "lizard cake" this year, so that's what he got. Chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting.

Sam, Conner, Alexis, Taylor, and Ellen all had a great time!

And at the end of the day, Sam went to bed in his nifty new Transformers pajamas and robe. It was a terrific day!

At the movies

Today, in honor of Sam's birthday (which was last Sunday) Anthony took off work and spent the day at home with us. We packed Ellen off to daycare this morning, and Sam had both parents all to himself. He spent most of the day running around giggling and acting silly and generally having a great time. He helped me bake his birthday cake for the party tomorrow. Then he helped me clean up the kitchen and start the dishwasher. After that he had a wrestling match with his dad, which pretty much consisted of Sam running fult tilt at Anthony, and Anthony picking him up and throwing him onto the bed. Hilarity ensued and a good time was had by all.

We picked Ellen up from daycare and then headed to the cinema to treat the kids (and ourselves) to a movie. We watched The Tale of Despereaux, which to be honest wasn't the best movie I've seen, but it was cute enough. The time with family was the most fun part anyway. We splurged on snacks and were amazed as Ellen scarfed piece after piece of popcorn and Sam gnawed his way through a whole pack of Twizzlers. We shared our sodas with them and Ellen peed on Anthony's lap.

Sam was pretty nonchalant about the whole 'movie' thing, but had a blast eating candy and then playing one of those video games where you drive a car around town. (I have now decided that Anthoy will have to be the one to teach him to drive!). Ellen loved the popcorn and slurped up her weight in soda, and wiggled and clapped and cheered and pretty much had a ball. She even sat on my lap and tried to dance to the background music.

And then we got home and everybody was tired and coming down from a sugar high and so they had to go to bed at 630. I am seriously thinking of joining them.

Zing, Zang, Zoom!

Welcome to the Greatest Show On Earth! Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey are proud to present Zing! Zang! Zoom!

That's right, the four of us went to the circus today! It was quite an adventure. Sam hasd been looking forward to it for a couple of days, and of course Anthony and I were excited to be taking the kids. Ellen had no clue what a circus might be, but she caught the general air of festivity and got excited too.

We had to park half a block away from the BJCC in a parking deck, and followed the crowd to the arena. We had to stand outside for a while waiting to get in; incidentally, the temperature is definitely dropping! Inside the BJCC we were greeted by the usual deluge of vendors selling everything from t-shirts to food to stuffed animals. Sam wound up with a spinning light up thingy that would probably give you a seizure if you stared at it for too long; Ellen got a clown doll.

The show started with the typical huge opening number. There were clowns, acrobats, horses, and (Ellen almost lost her mind with excitement) elephants. The dancers and clowns were great, the acrobats were satisfyingly death-defying, and the animal performers were wonderful. We had a great time. Of course, by the end of it all Sam had a meltdown because the batteries ran down in his light thingy, and then he fell asleep on my lap after crying for a while and declaring that he didn't like the circus. Sam, like me, tends toward the weepy and grumpy end of the spectrum when he's tired. Ellen on the other hand clapped, cheered, and wriggled happily for most of the show. It was terrific.

Leaving the BJCC, we managed to turn the wrong way and ended up walking about 524582085 blocks to get back to the car. This is not so easy when you are carrying one sleeping 4 year old (go Anthony!) and alternately carrying and walking with a 22 month old. Sam asserted again that he didn't like the circus. We finally made it to the car and got home, and tucked the kids into bed.

I was pulling the blanket over Ellen when I heard Sam giggling behind me, from his own bed. I turned around to see him grinning from ear to ear. I guess the circus is easier to like once you're home in bed, because Sam smiled at me and said "Zing, zang, zoom!"

Chicken Salad, As You Like It

I love me some chicken salad. Love love love it. When it's made right, that is. And I must say, I make some seriously good chicken salad. Feeling that it is unfair to keep this delicious concoction all to myself, I'm going to post the recipe here.

Ok, it's your basic fruited chicken salad. I never measure the ingredients, so just add as much or as little as you want of each (hence the title "As You Like It")

You will need:

Chicken
Apples
Grapes
Walnuts
Green Onion
Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Lawry's Season Salt
Pepper

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and bake it in the oven til it's done. While it is cooking, chop the green onions and put them in a bowl. Then do the same with the apples. Slice the grapes in half and put them in the bowl. Once the chicken is done, dice it and put it in the bowl too. then add equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream, season it all with the Lawry's salt and some freshly ground black pepper, and top it with chopped walnuts. Serve on croissants, toast, crackers, or straight from the bowl. Deeeeelish!

I like to use Granny Smith apples, but any kind will work. If I use green apples I use red grapes, and vice versa, for a really nice color contrast. The finished product is a great textural, visual, and taste (tastual?) contrast with the soft chicken and the crunchy fruit and nuts, the sweet fruit and the tangy dressing, and the bite of the pepper.

I also keep promising myself that I will someday make a tropical version of this, using mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, and macadamia nuts in place of apples, grapes, and walnuts, and maybe topping it with some shredded coconut. If anyone else gets around to trying this before I do, let me know how it turns out, ok?

Did you ever have one of those days?

Because I've for sure had one today. I woke up with a sore throat. Ran late for work, had to go back home to get my phone, and had the AWFULLEST patient this morning. Had to cancel my weekend plans because Sam has a bad cough, and Ellen appears to getting it too. Finally got off work, went and picked up the kids, and headed home. I was sooo looking forward to trying the soup I made this morning from a new recipe. (I love soup when the weather is cold). I got home, schlepped the kids up the garage stairs, and finally was home. I went to check my soup, lifted the lid. . . and realized that I didn't plug in the crockpot this morning.

Can I have a do-over on the whole day please?

Tag, you're it!

Kelli at The Land of Boys tagged me for this game. . . you go to your pictures file, click the fourth folder, and then the fourth picture in that folder. Post it to your blog. This is mine.


I tag Dixie and Sarah!