Menu for the Week of 4/27

Nick requested that we eat healthier than normal for the next five weeks. We will be heading to the beach for his sister's wedding, and we both need to start prepping for bathing suit season. So, I am not making any promises for the next few weeks. The menus may be a bit dull, and you may see some Lean Cuisine meals a couple of nights a week. You can sympathize, right? Everyone hates getting into their bathing suit for the first time each summer. My bikini is hanging on my closet door as a reminder to be good. On second thought, maybe I should hang it in the kitchen...hmmmm.

Monday: Brisket with green beans and spinach salad (we ended up eating out last week)

Tuesday: Paprika and Parmesan crusted Chicken with steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Chicken Stir Fry over brown rice

Thursday: Eggs, Turkey Sausage, and Sliced Tomatoes

Friday: Bertolli Skillet Meal with Spinach Salad

Saturday: Grilled Hamburgers (minus the bun and the saltines that the recipe calls for) with grilled zucchini and squash

Sunday: Grilled Shrimp with Steamed Broccoli and brown rice

Family Trip to the Park

After all of our hard work on Sunday (see previous post), we decided that it was the perfect day for a trip to the park. Charlie and Samson loved it! Both of our boys were worn out last night.

Ahhh, Spring has Sprung at the Shaw's House

I LOVE SPRING! I love absolutely everything about it. Well, I take that back. I could do without the pollen. The dreary days of winter are gone, and colorful flowers are beginning to bloom. The weather is gorgeous, making it perfect for a walk in the neighborhood or a trip to the park. Spring always feels like a fresh start. Did I mention that I LOVE it!?!?

This weekend, Nick and I got the house spring ready by doing some much needed landscaping. We planted flowers, killed weeds, mowed, trimmed hedges, laid bark chips, and spruced up the outside of the house. It took us many trips to Home Depot and both days, but the end result is oh so nice. Nick was a good sport about the whole thing, too. He didn't complain one little bit, even though I know he would have rather spent his weekend resting on the couch with the remote control in hand.

We sat out on the back deck last night after Charlie had gone to sleep and admired all of our hard work. Today, the house is being pressured washed, the gutters cleaned, and the windows washed. I can't quite put into words just how exciting all of the this spring cleaning is making me! I know, I know...I am a huge nerd!

Dinner party, anyone???

Welcome to our home!

Flower power

Come on in!

Siesta in the Jumperoo

Charlie has ditched his morning nap for the last week. This has totally rearranged his little schedule, and his afternoon nap has been very unpredictable. Yesterday, I put Charlie in his Jumperoo so that I could take a quick shower. Charlie hates when I shower, so I usually sing to him the entire time. While I belted out "Old McDonald", Charlie decided that it was a good time to take his nap. This is what a found when I got out of the shower.

What a muffin!!!

Slam Dunk

Maybe Charlie has future in the NBA.

Menu for the Week of 4/20

My lovely menu for last week was thrown out the window when I came down with a stomach bug. Jambalaya and Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup just did not sound very appealing! Nick had to fend for himself a few nights, and we had a busier Saturday than planned, so many of last week's meals have been bumped to this week. See last week's menu for links to the recipes for Monday and Tuesday.

Monday: Leftover Jambalaya with salad

Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup with salad

Wednesday: Parmesan Chicken with spaghetti

Thursday: Baked Eggs in Turkey Bacon Rings with hash brown potatoes

Friday: Brisket with green beans and brown rice

Saturday: Frozen Contessa Meal with salad

Sunday: Enchiladas with Mexican rice

The Snake Charmer

Earlier today, Nick happened to look out our kitchen window and see a large (4-5 feet long) snake in a tree. Our back yard has many trees and backs up to the woods and a pond. Even though I KNOW there are snakes back there, I have never seen one in the four years that we have lived in the house. Let's just say, I was happier that way. This snake was in a tree that was just over our fence. We got the binoculars out and watched the snake for a little while, but I was not too scared because the tree was behind our fence.

After dinner, as I was cleaning up, Nick took another look out the window to see f the snake was still visible. He yelled for me to come over. As I got the window, I saw that the snake had managed to slither over to a tree in our yard and was just a few inches from the ground. I had the creeps earlier, but now my skin was really crawling thinking about it being anywhere near our house.

Nick saved the day! He got a long rod and went out to protect the family (me) from the scary snake. Nick gently picked snakey up and placed him over our fence. He gave him a few nudges in the right direction and called it a day for snake wrangling.

The snake is making his way down the middle tree

Nick helping the snake find a MUCH better home

My hero!!!

Nicole's Baby Shower

One of my best friends from high school, Nicole, was honored at her first baby shower yesterday. It was intended to be a joint shower for her and another friend, Julie. Unfortunately, Julie was in the hospital with kidney stones (yuck).

The shower was held outside, and the weather could not have been more perfect for the occasion. The hostesses did a beautiful job with decorations, food, and games. I know that Nicole must have felt very special. And boy, did she and her little bundle make out like bandits. Sawyer Elizabeth has everything from little dresses and shoes to a new pack-and-play.

For those of you who do not know Nicole, this day was a long time coming. Nicole and her husband, Ron, struggled to get pregnant for well over two and a half years. Nicole has watched as friend after friend has welcomed a baby into the world, so it was wonderful to see Nicole have her day to shine as the mommy-to-be! Sawyer is an answered prayer for her mommy and daddy as well as for all those who love them. Congratulations Nicole!!!! I love you and Sawyer!

Pretty Pink Packages

The yummy buffet

The glowing mommy

Preggo Stef, me, and Preggo Nicole
Best friends since high school

Double Trouble

Well, actually it was more like double fun today at the Shaw household. Charlie's buddy, Cooper, came over to spend the day with us while his mommy took his big sister to the zoo. Charlie was so happy to have a pal to play with. Let's face it, Mommy can get kind of boring after a while! Charlie literally followed Cooper around all day playing with whatever he started to play with. He would even pat Cooper on the head while they played together. It was really sweet to see how well Charlie interacted with another baby...oops...I mean toddler. Cooper is such an easy going little guy, and it was a breeze having him over. Not one fuss out of him the entire time he was here. Thanks for a great play date, Coop!!!

Are these kids CUTE, or what???

Vroom, vroom, my car is faster than your car!

What's for lunch, Cooper?

The boys climbed into the corner of the kitchen to play together. Can you say precious?

Easter

Blogger is being a pain in the tush, so all of these pictures are out of order...sorry. We had a very nice Easter with both sides of the family. We did brunch with my parents and dinner over at the Shaw's. Charlie was not really feeling well. He did not sleep well the night before and had a bit of a runny nose. I think it is due to his second set of molars coming through. Poor little guy was so tuckered out after all of the festivities that he passed out on the car ride home.

A true boy...falling asleep while picking his nose

Get these bunny ears off of me!

Beautiful and very yummy brunch at the Browning's

Mommy's handsome boys

Mommy likes the bunny ears

Checking out the Easter goodies from Grandma and Grandpa

Mommy trying to get Charlie to sit still so that she can take a picture...no luck

Charlie exploring the loot in his Easter basket

No candy this year. Charlie got some new books, sippy cups, and big boy utensils this Easter.

Menu for the Week of 4/13

Monday: Easter leftovers

Tuesday: Grilled BBQ Chicken Wraps with Rice

Wednesday: Hamburger Helper and salad (I have to be somewhere at 7:00, so everyone will be eating at different times)

Thursday: Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup and Salad

Friday: Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti and salad

Saturday: Slow Cooker Jambalaya with rice

Sunday: Leftover Jambalaya

Happy Easter

I promise that none of these bums belong to Charlie. I just couldn't resist posting this picture! I hope these cute tushies make you smile and that you have a wonderful Easter weekend!

I Just Got the Chills

I can't tell you how excited I just got. I was blog hopping, and I found a site that allows you to turn your blog into a book. I had heard about sites like this before, but I hadn't really done a lot of research on the subject. This site looks great and seems to be reasonably priced (comparable to Shutterfly and Kodak books). I am totally making a book for Charlie's first year ASAP. Check out Blurb to see if you can turn your blog into a book, too!

Fat Lip

When Nick and I took our childbirth class, the instructor informed all of the parents who were expecting little boys to prepare ourselves for at least a few trips to the ER. She had three sons of her own, so I figured she knew what she was talking about. Now, before anyone gets too worried, I DID NOT have to take Charlie to the ER. He did have his first big fall , however, and it did result in a very fat and extremely bloody lip. My reference to the ER was simply because I had a small glimpse of life to come with a boy. Charlie is into everything and has no fear of the unknown. I have a feeling that this boo boo was the first of many. The really sad part was that even after his big spill, he went right back to doing the thing that caused his accident.

New Pictures

Check out the Photo Album on the right-hand side of the blog for updated pictures from March.

The Face

A few weeks ago, Charlie started making the funniest facial expression. At first, we thought he was doing it when he was upset, but we soon realized that he does it when he is happy, sad, or anything in between. I have tried and tried to catch it on the camera, but I have failed each time. Well, today I was bound and determined to catch the little guy in action. He started making "the face" while enjoying his afternoon snack of applesauce. I grabbed the camera, and began clicking away.

This is "THE FACE". He squints his eyes, throws his head back, and makes an ehhhhh or a mmmmm sound. This version of "the face" was a happy one. Nick and I can't help but laugh every time he does it.

Here it is on video. You will also see another new favorite in this video. Charlie now points at EVERYTHING!!! I feel like I can understand him better, but at the same time, it is frustrating because I feel like he points all the time and expects me to know what he wants. I am so ready for the first words!

Menu for the Week of 4/6

This week is not one of my best. Nick might be going out of town, and we are doing Easter at my parents' house. So, I am only cooking a few nights.

Monday: Leftover Lasagna. Playgroup is at our house today, and I am making a huge Stouffers Lasagna that I got on sale a while ago. We will also have salad, garlic bread, and a yummy no-bake treat.

Tuesday: Poppy seed Chicken Casserole

Wednesday: Poppy seed Chicken Casserole Leftovers

Thursday: Contessa Frozen Meal. We never had this last week because a family friend brought us food from their restaurant because Nick helped him move. Nick's friend manages Bad Bob's Barbecue in Cumming, and it is delicious. Check it out the next time you go out to eat.

Friday-Saturday: Pasta or soup and sandwiches. Blah, I know. Nick might be gone, and these are meals that we always have in the house.

Sunday: Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Oh, Baby!

It seems like everywhere I turn these days there is a cute baby bump popping out around me. We have so many friends that are expecting a child this summer, and I cannot wait to get my hands on all of the new little bitties coming into this world? So far, Charlie will have 4 baby girls and 2 baby boys to play with by September. It seemed like it was going to be the summer of the girl, but we found out just a few days ago that one of my best friends, Stefani, and her husband are expecting a little boy. Declan Edward Wood is due in August, and I know that his mommy and daddy will love being the parents of a boy as much as Nick and I do! Congratulations Wood Family!!!

Side note for the Wood Family - Charlie thinks that it is time for Declan to have his own blog :o)

A Hopping Good Time

Charlie went on his first Easter egg hunt last Saturday at Newtown Park in Alpharetta. We met up with some family friends and their kiddos to meet the Easter Bunny and go on the egg hunt. Charlie was too young to get the idea, but he did enjoy holding an egg in each hand and shaking them. It was such a beautiful day, and it was just nice to get out an enjoy the sunshine. We even got a special visit from Auntie Vicki and Uncle Justin. They came all the way from Marietta just to see Charlie. What a lucky little guy!

Here are just some of the pictures from the day. I am having trouble getting the rest of them to load onto the blog. I will try again later.

I got two eggs, and now I am DONE!

Auntie Vicki and her Little Man

Back off!!! These eggs are mine!

Gotta do the taste test

Night Out on the Town

Our friend, Stephanie, came in town to celebrate her birthday yesterday. Steph and I have known each other since high school, and we lived together the first two years at UGA. She has since moved to Chicago, so we try to see her whenever she comes into town. So, we packed Charlie and Samson up and sent them off to Grandma and Grandpa's for a sleepover and a little spoiling. Nick and I headed to Atlanta to meet some of our close friends for Steph's birthday celebration at Loco Luna. We ordered a ton of tapas, tropical drinks, and had a great time catching up with old friends. After the food, the girls did what we do best...we danced! Nick even braved the dance floor and attempted to get a Salsa lesson from Steph. Bless his heart for trying. He definitely won't be winning and trophies, but he did make all of us laugh a lot.

Nick bustin' a move

The Ladies

Steph, me, and Kim