Sweet Sugar

Here are all NINE creations from left to right:
Sugar Spice Coffee, Snickerdoodle, German Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Lebkuchen

Sugar

Coconut Candy, Caramel, Cake Pop

All I can say is....I AM DONE!!!! And I really couldn't have done it without Dennis's help. He watched the kids all weekend while I baked in the kitchen all day. At one point on Saturday when Caitlin didn't nap, she calmly watched me mixing and rolling and slicing, while she was perched on the bar stool. That would be the only time she was calm around the cookies because once she realized they WERE cookies, her paws were all over them. So Dennis decided to occupy her by making a gingerbread house together. They had a great (and sticky) time to say the least. Colton also got to pitch in a bit too!

Sugar cookie madness!

So pretty

Let the decorating begin!

It needs a bit more icing.

And time for a taste test.

And now for the demolition!

I think I finally got all the stickiness off the table!

Cookie Land

I'm up to my eyeballs in cookies!  I've been working on them since Friday night.  It started off pretty bad with all my new recipes not working out.  But then I started in on the tried and true and that has helped a lot.  I made 8 doz cookies this morning and I have another 8 doz to go.  I also have to frost 8 doz within the next 24 hours.  Then I will proceed to assemble platters.  That is to say if I don't add in another cookie in the meantime.  This is what I have so far:

1.  Chocolate Chip

2.  German Chocolate

3.  Cake Pops

4.  Lebkuchen

5.  Snickerdoodle

6.  Coconut Candy

7.  Caramels

8.  Sugar

9.  Sugar and Spice Coffee

Giddy

Is it crazy that I get so giddy at the idea of Dennis coming home from work?  Or that I look forward to the weekend because he won't be working?  Even yesterday when he stayed home sick and was in bed most of the day, I was just so happy he was there.  Yes, I didn't see him very much, but his presence was greatly felt.  He just has a calming effect on me. When I'm having a bad day or super stressed, Dennis comes home and it all just melts away.  He is my Prozac for sure....and I'm completely addicted!

Grama Visit

Last week my mom came over for a visit!  It was so nice and Caitlin (Colton too) had a great time.  Caitlin LOVED my mom's border collie....Peggy.  As soon as she would wake up in the morning, Caitlin would be asking about Peggy and looking out the window for her.  On Tuesday, Caitlin and I went for a walk while my mom and Colton took a nap.  We took Peggy with us and Caitlin held the leash the whole time!  It was really nice to see her interacting with a dog without being super nervous and unsure.  Plus, my mom's dog is very nice and really calm.  It was really wonderful to have my mom around....especially during the week when I'm usually by myself with the kids!

This week Caitlin has been making real progress on the potty training front.  For quite some time now, she has been peeing on the potty.  She usually doesn't tell us when she has to go, but when we put her on, she always pees. Well, for the last two mornings when I have put her on she has pooped on the potty!!!!!  SO EXCITING!!!!!  I know...it's weird, a post about poop.  But if you have ever potty trained before, you know my excitement!!!!

I have been searching through all of my cookies recipes lately.  I think I will be starting on my Christmas cookies sometime next week.  I have no idea how many I will make this year. It will probably be scaled down a bit.  But knowing me, I'll end up getting carried away! :)

Stolen Mail

Yup, you read correctly. Our (and our neighbors to the right of us) outgoing mail was stolen on Saturday morning between the hours of 9-11am. Who would do such a thing!.....and broad daylight too!!!! Thankfully, it was only a NetFlix movie. I called them to let them know what happened and they were completely awesome about it. I also called the sheriff's department and they could care less. The dispatch lady wasn't even sympathetic and made me feel like it was my fault. Lovely. Unfortunately, for the past several weeks, we have noticed open mailboxes in our neighborhood. Some still had mail in them, but most were empty. We thought it was probably kids playing around. Well, apparently, they are doing a little more than fooling around! So this morning Dennis installed a locking mailbox instead of our regular one. He also talked with one of our other neighbors who said that in the past 20 years of living on this street, this is the first time mail has ever been stolen.....and I hope it's the last!

On a brighter note, I replaced our regular LED Christmas lights in the kitchen with the color changing ones instead.....and it's like I'm at a disco party every waking minute!!!! WOO HOO!!!!! Then tonight, I installed the regular lights down the hallway and tomorrow I'll install some in Caitlin's room. Caitlin absolutely loves the lights! She grabbed Dennis's hand once they were done in the hallway, and took him down the hall to sit on the floor and look at the lights. She's such a sweetheart!

And I leave you with a few pics!

We now have two thumb suckers in the house!

Enjoying some cereal with daddy.

Going for Walks

That is what I call it instead of "exercise." Dancing with Caitlin also falls under that category. I figure if I just try to go for a walk when ever I can and dance with Caitlin on the days it rains, I will actually be exercising without thinking I'm actually exercising. Okay, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only way I can trick myself into sticking with it. I am not an exercise person, nor a walker, jogger, and definitely not a runner. I need to do what ever I can (trick my mind, yes) to get moving (i.e. exercise) so I can get rid of my baby weight and all the extra desserts I've been consuming since I have this horrible addiction to baking. So far this whole mind game seems to be working. I've actually been going for walks for the past month and a half (or so) for 30 minutes 2-4 times a week! And since I'm carrying around an extra 17 pounds on me with Colton in the front pack, it's quite a work out! I've had to add the dancing with Caitlin since it has started to rain. I imagine it would be quite hilarious to watch us with our little dance routine. Caitlin certainly seems to like it though as she tries to imitate all the moves with me.

So here's hoping I can stick with Going for Walks and Dancing with Caitlin for a while!

Colton 3 Months

The day after Thanksgiving, Colton turned 3 months old! I think he weighs about 17 pounds now and has slept through the night 9 out of the last 10 nights! Completely shocking on all fronts! He is still really mellow, extremely happy, and an absolute morning boy. He has a beautiful voice and his favorite word right now is between "goooo" and "oooooo." And for the past few days, I've been trying to get him to sleep in his crib during his naps. He seems to do well, which is good since I think we may have him sleep there at night after Christmas.

Oh, my wonderful friend Nancy surprised me by stopping by this afternoon. We chatted for a bit and she read to Caitlin too. She also brought over an adorable outfit for Caitlin for her birthday and a scrapbooked framed photo of Colton....which is absolutely adorable!!!! Thank you again Nancy!!! You made my day!!

Don't you just LOVE it!!!!

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at our house....just the four of us. I made all the usual holiday fixing with some minor tweaks. We had turkey breast instead of a whole turkey, dried cranberries and pecans in my stuffing (Dennis gets oysters in his), and a new recipe for pumpkin cheesecake. It was a very yummy and I'm sorry that we've eaten all the leftovers already. Caitlin really liked the turkey and didn't mind eating it for the next few days.


We didn't go out for Black Friday this year for the first time in I can't remember how long. Dennis had to work, and bringing two kids to a packed mall probably wouldn't have been a great idea. So on Saturday I took Colton shopping. Since most of the deals we were interested in were 2 day sales, we scored without having to wait longer than 3 minutes in a line! Woo hoo!!!

First Attempt

Here is my first attempt at emailing in my blog.  I've also added a setting (because of my lack of blogging recently) that will email some people in the event that I blog.  Apparently, I can also add pictures through email as well.  If this whole thing works, it will be the coolest thing EVER!!!!!

Here's hoping!

P.S.
Trying to do sit-ups with a toddler laying on your stomach is quite interesting.

Christmas Lights

Lowest Price of the Season...

Is the most annoying phrase EVER!!!! Especially during the holidays, this phrase shows up to entice buyers into a spending fury. However, when is it really true? For example, one advertisement I looked at this weekend displayed this "lowest price of the season" proudly over its page, when I know in fact that it was cheaper a few months ago. ARG!! And this wonderful phrase is all over the commercials as well, so when I hear it, it's like nails on a chalkboard.......or a fork scrapping a plate! When will it ever end!? Ooooo, another word that has been really bugging me lately is......oh, I blocked it...give me a minute to remember........okay, here it is "woot, woot." Again, it completely annoys me. Why? I have absolutely no idea on this one. Maybe it has replaced my favorite phrase of "woo hoo" and I give it the cold shoulder because of that. All I know is that every time I read it, I can't help but roll my eyes.

And while I'm on a roll, what is up with people not using their blinkers! It's easy enough to use the windshield wipers, right? So why not give the other knobby some attention! You turn, you blink. Are these people trying to pull one over on us? Do they think their blinker is not worthy of being used? Are they changing their mind at the last minute? I just don't get it. This is something that Caitlin (and Colton now) has heard a lot about in the car while we are out and about. Even when Caitlin is playing around with her keys, cell phone, and purse in hand, I reminder her to use her blinker when she's out. Not using your blinker is like going out naked in public....why would you want to do that.....they'd see all your jiggly bits!

And I will now leave you with that image.....hahahahaha.

Is it true?

It cannot possibly be true that Colton has already reached the "sleeping through the night" phase of his babyhood! But for 4 nights in a row now, he hasn't been getting up until 7am!!!! I'm in such disbelief (and rather well rested)! Caitlin didn't sleep through the night until she was a year old and here is Colton at almost 3 months snoozing away until the morning! I'm not sure how long it will last, but I will cherish every full night of sleep I get!


On a side note, I just noticed how many exclamation points I used in that paragraph. Hmmm, maybe I drank my iced coffee a little too fast this afternoon! I bribed Caitlin with fries so Nancy could take photos of her and Colton and I couldn't resist getting an iced coffee as well! Oh and I confess, I did get a cheeseburger too.....and ate some of the fries.....okay, maybe a LOT of her fries. But I digress.



I don't have very much more to do to prepare for turkey day tomorrow. I just need to prep the potatoes, onions, and make the cheesecake. But I developed a bad case of Christmas fever pretty early this year so I'm washing Christmas towels, pillowcases, and tops for the kids as we speak (or type). I've also consumed ridiculous amounts of gingerbread cookies (with sprinkles of course). On the downside of this Christmas fever, I haven't really thought about what gifts we need to get. I think when we pick up the Black Friday ads, I'll be more inspired.

Alright, it's time for me to......drat! All this caffeine has made my brain a scrambled mess and I can't focus (or remember) what I was just going to do! Time to retrace my steps!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Caitlin

Well our little bug is now TWO years old! Her birthday fell on a Wednesday and we celebrated by having her favorite dinner (pesto ravioli, broccoli, and avocado) and mini cakes for dessert. We followed that with presents and Toy Story 3! Caitlin seemed to like the movie. We had watched the first two movies the two weeks before her birthday to get ready for the event. When she watched the first movie, she was shocked to see Buzz and Woody (both of which she has) talk!

On Friday we all headed over to Y-town to celebrate her birthday with family at my brother and Sarah's house. Before we got there, we stopped in Medford at Toys R Us so Caitlin could pick out ANY toy she wanted. This was a total daddy/daughter thing. Dennis had been looking forward to Toys R Us for weeks! Caitlin ended up choosing a little ball. She almost went for a dancing Mickey Mouse, but in the end, she couldn't let go of the ball....at least it's fushia!

We stayed at my dad's house and then Colton and I headed in early to get ready for the party. My mom made chocolate and funfetti cupcakes and I decorated them to look like sunflowers. We ordered mexican food platters which were REALLY good. Caitlin got quite a few new outfits, two baby dolls, a sticker book with crayons, magna doodle, record player, purse, stroller, and a retro red kitchen! It was so awesome of everyone to get her such cool stuff! After the party we had planned to drive back home, but Dennis was really tired so we decided to stay with J, K, B, and M. Caitlin had a great time playing with her cousins and it was nice to relax after the party.

On the 10th we took Caitlin for her 2 year check-up. She weighed 23lbs and was 32 inches tall. She still is a tiny thing putting her in the 8th percentile for her weight! Thankfully, her daddy was there to comfort her after the shots. I also had the doctor listen to Colton's lungs because he'd had a cough for a few days.....and he was just fine. Back at home, it was Yo Gabba Gabba and a cookie for the little bug for her big day at the doctor.

I really can't believe my baby girl is already 2! Before we know it, she'll be going to kindergarten!

Princess Peach and Toadstool

So we made it out to the mall yesterday and Caitlin had a blast! She said trick or treat and thank you to almost everyone who gave her candy. In fact, she was so cute in her costume, two different businesses gave her special treats! We also ran into another brother/sister combination of Princess Peach and Toadstool! Colton was super cute, but about half way through, he just wanted to be held. On the way home, we let Caitlin eat her candy (yes, before dinner too). Then she got into the candy bowl at home and opened her first Milky Way! She ate the whole thing and went back for more! The bowl soon found its way onto a higher shelf.

We had several trick or treaters and Dennis decided we should give whole candy bars next year! It should be fun!

Oh, and I don't think I did so bad on the homemade costumes! I may even do it again next year!

Colton's 2 Month Check-up

I seriously can't believe Colton is 2 months old already! On Tuesday, Dennis and I took Colton in for his check-up and his first shots! He's growing very quickly and already measures 23 inches long and weighs 14lbs 7oz! Caitlin weighed only 10lbs 13oz at her 2 month check! We were unsure if Colton would be as good at getting his shots as Caitlin is. Turns out, he handles it pretty well. He definitely cried, but he was fine by the time we got him into his carseat. Thankfully, he never got a fever, but was a bit fussy and just wanted to be held. I ended up giving him Tylenol a few hours later which made him feel better. The next morning, he was his usual smiling self again.



Colton also has been sleeping well lately (except last night of course). He sleeps for about 5 hours the first run and then 2-3 the next stretch. The other night he slept for 7 hours straight! And then night before last, he only got up once!....at 4:30am!!! Last night was a different story and I don't know what was up with him. He slept fine until 1:30am and then he would scream and scream anytime I tried to put him back into his bassinet. As soon as I would pick him back up he'd stop and go right back to sleep. He just wanted to be held all night long.....great for him, but exhausting for me.

Dennis didn't have the greatest luck with Caitlin either. She was up quite a bit...either crying or playing in her room. Dennis has taken to falling asleep in her room if she gets up in the middle of the night. She got so used to him being there while we were in the hotel room in Gresham, it's been hard to break that habit. But last night he had taken Nyquil for his cold and woke up to find her Woody doll on a changing mat beside him and her stretched across his legs with her head facing his feet! Crazy girl!

Since today is Halloween, we will be heading to the mall to go trick or treating. There are several Halloween events going on around the area, but since Caitlin is suffering from a cough and runny nose and Dennis is recovering from a cold, I thought it best to keep everyone out of the cold and choose one inside event. I'm really exciting to watch Caitlin trick or treat....and to see her reaction to all the other kids!

I will post pictures as soon as I can. Oh, I also ended up making Colton's Toadstool costume! And now I will leave you with pumpkin carving pictures.

Very excited to help daddy.

Kinda slimy!

Mmmm...raw pumpkin! And she kept on eating it throughout the night!

The aftermath! She had a blast "cleaning" up the mess!

Pumpkin Patch

On Friday we took Caitlin and Colton to the pumpkin patch. We went to a different patch than last year and we're so happy we did. Last time Caitlin wasn't quite a year old so we had to carry her everywhere. This time we were chasing HER everywhere. She had an absolute blast of a time! It was hilarious to watch her trying to choose a pumpkin. Throwing the ones that were smaller like a ball and trying super hard to pick up the others. I was very thankful that it wasn't raining. The rain was heading our way, but held off long enough to get our pumpkins safely home.

A running start!

Helping daddy pull the cart.

Searching for the best pumpkin.

If I can just get my fingers underneath it!

This is hard work!

A nice man working on the farm gave Caitlin a sunflower.

It's like "Where's Waldo" but with Caitlin.

Our pumpkin score.

Colton's pumpkin.

Zombie Caitlin

Say cheese!