Friday, January 30, 2009

Friday Fun Day!

Last night on my way home from work, I was thinking that they boys and I haven't done something FUN in a while. On the days Carter doesn't have school, we usually stay close to home.

So... today we had a fun filled morning and afternoon at Jumpin' Jack's Funland. This is a great place for the boys to run, jump on inflatables, play games, slide down gigantic slides and eat some great pizza! Lee even joined us for lunch. Hudson was so worn out he fell asleep in the car. Carter was too hyped up and never took a nap..oh well! We had a blast!

Sorry the pictures are a bit blurry... I am not sure what I was doing wrong?!?!


Carter on the slide!
Hudson climbing into the inflatable!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Great News!

Before Christmas, Hudson's Audiologist suggested that we have his speech evaluated. I was concerned that he wasn't talking (only a few words), and she said since their was a great demand for therapy and may take a few months to get in to call for an evaluation. So I called and set up a time.
Over Christmas and New Years Hudson's vocabulary exploded. He went from saying 5 words to about 20. Not everything he says is understandable, but he is trying! Lee and I have really been working with him along with his Heartland teacher Stacey.

Well, today was evaluation day! The day started off a little rough for the both of us. I had to wake Hudson up early because his appointment was at 1:00...right in the middle of his afternoon nap. Now everyone knows how I am about my boys and them getting their rest! Lee lovingly calls me the Nap Nazi! Anyway, so after lunch at 10:30 I put Huddy down for an early nap, so we could be ready for our appointment on time. Blank Children's is way downtown and I wasn't totally for sure where the therapy office was.

In a nutshell Hudson did wonderful! I was a little worried, because sometimes around new people he is shy, but NOT today! He warmed right up to Jennifer (speech therapist). He pointed to pictures, followed simple instructions and named things like balloon, ball, and dog. He pointed to different animals, and lifted his little foot when she asked where his shoes were. He even threw the ball at her and said "catch", which he has never said to either Lee or I before! I just sat back in amazement, thanking God every second! When she went over the results I was super excited. Here's how she broke it down for me:

Auditory Comprehension (understanding): 91%
Expressive Communication (speaking words): 100%
Total Language Score: 95%

Her conclusion right now is that he doesn't need weekly therapy!! They would like to check him again around the time he turns 2, just to make sure things are still progressing!

Today was an awesome day! Lee and I are really pleased that Hudson is doing so well, and that his hearing aids are helping for language development!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Dessert

It's no surprise we love desserts and sweets in this house! When we were in Lincoln over New Years my Mom made this great Cheesecake. It's super easy too! Carter has been begging (seriously) me to make "cheese pie" ever since we came home. So today I had him help me make it after lunch! Can't wait to have a piece.
Here's the recipe for your enjoyment:

No Bake Lite Cheesecake

Crust:
Mix one Cup Graham Cracker crumbs (I use Keebler) with 3 Tbsp. melted Butter and 2 Tbsp. Sugar or Splenda.
Pat down crumbs in 9 x 13 pan.

Filling:
2 - 12 oz Lite Cool Whip
2 - 8 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
2/3 C. Sugar or Splenda

Mix softened cream cheese with sugar. Fold in cool whip.
Pour filling onto crumbs and refrigerate for a couple hours.
Top each piece with your favorite lite canned fruit! We love Lite Cherry Pie filling!

Tips:
- If you don't have graham cracker crumbs you can use one sleeve of regular graham crackers to crush.
- I use lite and fat free ingredients for our cheesecake, but if you prefer it regular, by all means use regular ingredients!
- This cheesecake is not the "normal" consistency of let 's say Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.. it's light and fluffy!
Sorry no pictures...we haven't dug into it yet!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

A Bloom!


Finally after weeks of waiting, watering and watching this Amaryllis slowly grow, it has bloomed! It is so pretty! Carter has really enjoyed seeing the flower grow every week. Each morning he would run downstairs, hop up on the counter and inspect it carefully. He would then report to me what he had found. He was so excited to see that the flower had finally opened up and there were four of them! Thanks Mom, for the flower!
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Friday, January 23, 2009

Sweet Baby Boy...


Our friends Mike and Trish welcomed their new baby boy this week!

Cale David Roach
01/21/09
10 lbs. 4 oz.

Can you tell big brother Carson is proud or what?
Congratulations!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Visit

We had a nice weekend visit from Lee's parents on their way home (from Omaha returning to Michigan). The boys were so excited to see Mamma Trish and Poppa Kit on Friday night, they started showing off like crazy. Saturday Trish and I planned to go shopping while the boys had a fun afternoon with Poppa and Daddy. I don't normally have a female shopping partner, so I enlisted Trish to help me pick out some new panels for our sliding glass door. We have had vertical blinds, since we moved in 3 years ago, and they are a mess. The boys pull at them, the dog scratches them , and we have several broken ones. I had so much fun at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I could spend a fortune there (but didn't)! We went to Jordan Creek and to Kmart for a few things! It was really a nice afternoon, not to worry about the boys and have a wonderful time shopping! When we came home, Lee and I got ready to go out!! Yes, we actually had another date night! That's two nights out, in less that a month!! Woo hoo! We ate at Cheesecake Factory.. it was soooo yummy!! We wanted to see a movie too, but we waited to eat for a while and couldn't make the movie on time.
Thanks Trish and Kit for coming! We had a great weekend!

From the mouth of Carter...

Carter is our little funny man. He comes up with stuff out of the blue, and when the words come out of his mouth it can be pretty hilarious. Here are a couple conversations from a the past few days:

I was checking Carter's bag from Preschool and found a picture. It was a small, brown, 3x5 laminated card with a few blue and yellow scribbles on it. I said to Carter "Thanks buddy, for making Mom a picture." He replied "Mom, it's NOT a picture, it's a COUPON. We KNOW how you like your coupons!"
I could not stop laughing...

Okay, let me preface this my saying I an not making fun of Carter! I just thought this was super sweet!

We were ready to take a nap, and I asked Carter if he wanted to say a little prayer before he went to sleep. He had been extra "busy" all day and I was trying to get him to be calm and quiet down for the afternoon. He said "Yes, but it's my turn." He closed his eyes tight, clasped his little hands together and began to pray. "Thank You God, for all the bad things I did today *paused* AND tomorrow. Thank you, for the beautiful sky and my swing set. Amen"

I think he meant to say I'm sorry for the bad things..., but I am so happy he likes to pray!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

As promised....


Here is a new picture of the boys. They are all decked out in their new NIKE outfits from Mamma Trish and Poppa Kit. Of course they wouldn't stand for me, so I snapped this one quick! This is one of their favorite hiding spots, underneath the kids table in the dinning room.

Carter didn't have school today. They cancelled schools last night because the forecast for today was 12 below zero! My van thermometer actually said -12!! We did have to go out in this stuff. Hudson's new ear molds for his hearing aids were in, so we bundled up headed out. Luckily we park in a parking garage we didn't have very far to walk.

Have a great day and stay warm!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Stuff

I promise to post some pictures of the boys this week. I haven't taken any pictures since Christmas and truthfully neither can stay still long enough for me to get a good one!
Carter is back in preschool and as ornery as ever. This last week his appetite exploded and he is eating everything on his plate and plenty of snacks in between meals. This boy is growing like a weed.. he is in size 5T or boys XS clothes!

Husdon is keeping us busy too! He is talking and his two favorite words are Dad (Lee is loving this) and boot-ball (football). He also can say Mom, Poppa, Mamma, bird, bug and about 10 other simple words too! He is in a major climbing stage. He loves sitting ON the kitchen table.. he did have his first fall this week. Bumped his head pretty good, but within 20 minutes was trying to get back up there again. Oh.. and he LOVES to imitate his brother. Monkey see, monkey do! Carter will dance, run in circles, scream (working to correct this) or say something funny and Huddy loves to try and do it too.

Coupon tip:
If you have a Kmart in your area, check the ad this week. Some are doubling coupons up to $2. I scored a bunch of goodies for cheap today! Before coupons = $100.22, after coupons = $11.00!! Our local Animal Rescue League will be getting lots of free cat food, and Sadie is stocked up on dog treats for a couple months. I know, you are thinking Kmart, who shops there? That's so old school. Seriously.. make sure your store is doing it, line up your coupons, and go!!

I heart Craigslist

Finally! I have been wanting/needing a deep freeze for a couple months now... ever since I started doing the coupon/stockpiling thing. My refrigerator freezer was overflowing and started to get a layer of ice on the bottom. Lee and I found this gem on Craigslist and picked it up on Saturday.
Woo hoo! I know, I know, my sisters and Mike are going to totally make fun of me.. oh well! The little things that make my day!


Monday, January 5, 2009

Lasagna Roll-ups


Wanted to share a really good recipe I made for dinner tonight....

Lasagna Roll-Ups

12 Lasagna Noodles
1 - Jar Spaghetti Sauce (any flavor, I use Prego 3 cheese)
1 - 8 oz. can Mushrooms
1 - 15 oz. container Non-Fat Ricotta Cheese
1 - 10 oz. pkg. Frozen Spinach, thawed (squeeze to drain)
1 C. 2% Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed

Cook noodles as directed, drain and cover with cold water. Pour 3/4 of the sauce and all of the mushrooms on bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish. Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic and spinach. Spread 3 Tbls. mixture on 1 noodle. Roll up noodle, cut roll in half to form two roll-ups. Place cut side down (curly side up) in sauce. Repeat with remaining noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


I made this ahead of time and stuck in the fridge, so I am going to cook a little longer. I half the recipe for our family of 4, because this makes A LOT! It is a weight watchers recipe so if you are counting points, it's 7 pts. for 5 pieces!! Enjoy!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!!


We are back home in Lincoln celebrating the new year with family and friends. Lee and I were able to sneak away for a date night on New Years Eve! We had a wonderful time with our friends Mike and Trish... they are expecting their second baby any day now!!
Yes Mike, I know you are sooooo excited to finally have made it to "blog status." Even though you tease me endlessly, we miss you guys terribly!
Happy New Year!!!