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Friday Funnies

Inspired by Wendy's recent 'Toddlers' post, here's another good one to get you through the day!

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it might be mine, it's mine.
3. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
4. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
5. If I had it before, it's mine.
6. If I'm making something, all the parts are mine.
7. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
8. If it looks like mine, it's mine.
9. If I think it's mine, it's mine.


I don't know about your little hellions, but Chloe practices these "laws" religiously!

Happy Birthday Neil!

For my husband, on his 29th birthday...

Not sure what I'd do without you. Thank you for everything that you are! I am such a lucky woman!

Love ya, babe.

Recipe of the Week

Perhaps a more appropriate title for this post would be 'Recipe of the Month', or better yet, 'Recipe of the Century' since the last time I posted a 'Recipe of the Week' was October 27th! And even now I'm going to cheat against my own rules and post a recipe that I didn't even create! I found this on VeryBestBaking.com several months ago, and it's quickly becoming a family favorite. Chloe even loves it, which is a HUGE plus! Try it out for yourself and tell me what you think!

Zesty Chicken and Rice Casserole
Prep: 20 min.; Cooking: 1 hr.
Yields: 4 servings


Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
2 T. butter
3 cups cooked, chopped (and seasoned to your liking) chicken breast meat (2 large breast halves should do it)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapenos
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 large eggs, slightly beaten (don't let this ingredient prevent you from trying this - the egg is subtle, if even noticeable - all it does is solidify the casserole)
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 2-quart casserole dish (I use an 11x13)
2) Bring water an bouillon to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and butter; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook for 15-20 minutes or until rice is almost tender and most of liquid is absorbed.
3) Combine prepared rice, chicken, cheese, evaporated milk, onion, eggs and cilantro in large mixing bowl; stir well. Transfer mixture to prepared casserole dish.
4) Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and edges are golden.

A few tips from the chef:
**A nice addition to this recipe is chopped ham. If I remember right, the very first time I made this I had leftover honey baked ham from Easter and it fit right in with the other ingredients!
**I always sprinkle some cayenne pepper over the top prior to baking.
**Fruit salad makes a great side dish!

This recipe has 391 reviews and an average rating of five stars. Always encouraging! Give it a try!

Been Tagged

Paula tagged me, so here goes!

Archive Meme Instructions: Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you’ve written. But there is a catch:

Link 1: must be about family...
This is my favorite post regarding family. Sure it's targeted toward Dad, but most of the important people in my life are also included here.

Link 2: must be about friends...
I love my friends, old and new. This post is about a friend of mine who I've had since we were practically babies, and who just recently moved out here to the Springs.

Link 3: must be about yourself...who you are...what you are all about...
This will tell you more about me than you'd probably ever want to know!

Link 4: must be about something you love...
I love my husband! Here you can learn of some fun (and funny) facts about us.

Link 5: can be anything you choose...
In the three months I've had this blog, here is my absolute favorite post.

Now it's your turn!
I am tagging:
1. Stacy
2. Shannon
3. Becca
4. Melissa
5. Natalie

Friday Funnies

Birth Order of Children
A slight exaggeration perhaps, but still pretty funny...
__________________________________________
- Pregnancy -
1st child: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd child: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd child: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
__________________________________________
- Preparing for the Birth -
1st child: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd child: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd child: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.
__________________________________________
-The Layette -
1st child: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd child: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd child: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
__________________________________________
- Worries -
1st child: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby.
2nd child: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd child: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
__________________________________________
- Pacifier -
1st child: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and sterilize it.
2nd child: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd child: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
__________________________________________
- Diapering -
1st child: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd child: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd child: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
__________________________________________
- Activities -
1st child: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd child: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd child: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
__________________________________________
- Going Out -
1st child: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd child: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd child: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
__________________________________________
- At Home -
1st child: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd child: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd child: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.
__________________________________________
- Swallowing Coins -
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush him to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin, you deduct it from his allowance!

Transitions

Last night my little ladybug slept in a twin sized bed for the very first time! And might I add she did this straight from her crib! She did incredibly well, and I am an extra proud mommy today. We've gradually been transforming her "nursery" into a "little girl room", and let me tell you, this process has been a longer one than I anticipated. What could I have really expected though, when I have a two-year-old who wants to be involved in EVERYTHING - especially when it has something to do with Chloe?

Neil put up the chair rail a couple weekends ago, and I've been painting ever since (mostly at odd hours of the night). I finally finished her room yesterday, and have since moved onto the dresser and headboard, which only need another coat or two of paint before they'll be ready additions to her room. After removing all the paint supplies and giving the room a good clean vacuum yesterday, Neil threw the twin mattress and box spring on the floor. We figured there was no reason Chloe couldn't start sleeping there that very night, even if her room wasn't completely finished.

You should have seen the expression on that girl's face when she spotted the mattress. It was like Christmas morning all over again! Chloe wouldn't leave her room for the rest of the day, and truly, it was entirely empty other than the mattress! I'm convinced this put us at an advantage at bedtime. When we asked if she was ready to sleep in her big girl bed she climbed right in, oh-so proudly and without hesitation! Twenty minutes passed before she came into our room asking for her blanket, but once she had that to snuggle with, she was perfectly content! She stayed there the whole rest of the night, and even slept in later this morning than I did! She made it quite clear she was up when she flung her bedroom door wide open and yelled, "AWAKE!", then darted down the hall into the kitchen to greet us. We, of course, praised her up and down for not only sleeping, but staying in her big girl bed all night long. And she naturally absorbed every ounce of praise graciously. I am hoping and praying that this good behavior continues. I'm a fan.

Ah HA!! The source of entertainment reveals itself!

What Do You Think?

I tried five different pictures of each of us and got the same results every single time! Kinda makes you wonder...

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

Best of 2007

This entry is dedicated to Chloe and to the many changes, milestones, and memories that 2007 brought us.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR:
JANUARY: Masters walking
FEBRUARY: Tooth #7 and 8 break through, making four on top and four on the bottom
MARCH: Walks up the stairs on her own; slides down the stairs on her bum
APRIL: Endures a long three weeks without Daddy while he trains for a new job in Indiana
MAY: NURSERY!!!; masters somersaults; hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails; moves out of the only house she's ever called "home"
JUNE: Vocabulary explodes; first molar breaks through
JULY: Can count to three
AUGUST: Proudly announces when she "toots"; becomes obsessed with the moon
SEPTEMBER: Is spotted putting her doll in the corner; recognizes and excitedly announces "Eee-ee-bow" every time she spots a Home Depot (thanks to her Dad); says, "please", "thank you", and "bless you" when someone sneezes
OCTOBER: Says farewell to the binky once and for all
NOVEMBER: Celebrates her 2nd birthday; says, "I pretty" while admiring her reflection in the mirror; genuinely enjoys watching football with her dad; repeats anything and everything she hears
DECEMBER: Welcomes her first cousin into the family: Olivia Noelle Giesler; sees Mom's hometown for the first time; goes potty ON the toilet; counts clear to ten; can sing parts of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', 'Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam', 'ABCs', 'The Wheels on the Bus', 'Ring Around The Rosie', and 'Jesus Once Was a Little Child'

MOMMY MOMENTS OF THE YEAR:
Late nights when Neil had dinner programs and together, we'd wait up for him; candlelight bubble baths; hearing, "I love you, Mommy" for the first time; singing to her the same songs my mom sang to me as a child; baking Christmas cookies; peeking through the window at her during nursery just to catch a glimpse; observing the genuine excitement in her eyes the minute her Dad walked through the door at the end of each day; witnessing the transformation from baby to little girl...

PHOTO OF THE YEAR:


2007 was a beautiful year for our family. Many changes took place, aside from those relating directly to Chloe, and reflecting back, I see just how blessed we were and are. Here's to a successful 2007 and a fresh and exciting 2008!

Friday Funnies

My friend, Liz, sent this to me and I just had to post it.

Tough Love
Most of America's population think it's improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they get out of hand.

One that I've recently found to be most effective is to take my child for a car ride and talk it out. He usually stops misbehaving after that.

I've included a photo below of one of our recent 'sessions,' just in case you'd like to try the technique out yourself.

Sincerely,
A Friend

Getting there...

I still cannot figure out how to get the second column of my blog (with my profile, links, lists, etc.) on the far right hand side of my page where it's supposed to be! According to my "layout" all the page elements are where I want them, but clearly when you open up my blog they aren't! Why are they at the very bottom of the page underneath all my blog entries? It's like my blog has caught a virus or something! So frustrating. If anyone has a suggestion for what I could do, I'm all ears!

Geaux Tigers!

Tonight is a night we've been anxiously awaiting for weeks! It's the BCS National Championship game: Tigers versus Buckeyes!

Here's a little background:
Neil's grandpa Don taught at Louisiana State University for 35 years, so the fandom has always been in Neil's blood. I on the other hand could have cared less about LSU and college football all together. That is until January 4, 2004, when I had my change of heart. 3 words: Nokia Sugar Bowl. We lived in Oklahoma City at the time, and I'd say 85-90% of our co-workers were d-i-e-h-a-r-d OU fans. On this particular day, several people came into work sporting OU: 2004 BCS National Champions t-shits and hats, clearly convinced that their Sooners would defeat our Tigers later that evening.

HA HA HA is all I have to say! Only hours later, as it became more and more evident that those t-shirts were misprinted, I decided to do something daring. Let's just say that some very yummy yellow frosted sugar cookies with 'LSU' iced in purple magically appeared in my boss's mailbox the following morning. He did forgive me, eventually.

Somehow the experience of witnessing our Tigers defeat the Sooners, whose players and fans had been so darn sure of themselves, and further rubbing in their faces the fact that they'd been a little too quick to claim the role of champions, converted me to Tigerism. And ever since then, we haven't missed a single game!

Today Neil is sporting some yellow and purple in honor of tonight's game. And Chloe has a purple bruise on her forehead (as usual) to show her spirit...

And so folks, in the words of Chloe, "Go Tigors!" Tonight let's show those Buckeyes who's boss!