Summer Changes

Yes, that is right. My baby is now a full fledged toddler.

This summer has held many milestones for my little man.

He learned how to sign "more." And literally the next day or two picked up "all done" and "milk."

He turned one.

He is walking. Not just taking steps or toddling from one place to another anymore. Actual walking. Sometimes bordering on running.

Teeth #7 and #8 have broken through.

He has not had milk out of a bottle since Tuesday night. That is two and a half days ago! We were having trouble with this one, but the "cold turkey" method seems to have worked. The first day and a half were pretty rough, but he no longer cries when he is asking for milk and sees you bring out his big boy cup. He now reaches for it and just starts to drink.

We are still a little rough when it comes to solid foods, but he is making progress. As long as I mash it with a fork a little first, he will eat mixed veggies. And last night at VBS he actually ate sloppy joe! This is a big deal because meat has REALLY been a struggle for us!

He had his second haircut.

He is learning to mimic things more and more! He likes to try to put his shoes on (or Mom and Dad's), brush his hair, and put the phone up to his ear. He sings and dances all the time : ) 

Asking for more Sloppy Joe at VBS : )

Bear With Me...

Who really knows why, but after a six month plus absence, I am thinking about returning to this blog again. Maybe try and give it a different feel, who knows? I still maintain that my life is just not that interesting, but we'll see...

The Teacher Has Become the Student... Wait, That

So as of today, I am a grad student. Am I crazy?? Can I juggle my already crazy life AND a grad school class at the same time?? Well, we are about to find out...

I am doing an online program, the Reading/Writing Specialist MA.Ed., through the University of the Cumberlands. Some of my friends are doing this same program, which always helps!

I am not completely crazy, though... UC offers most of the classes in bi-terms. I am only taking one class January - March because I also have to plan a District Governor's Cup competition for my academic team the last Saturday in February. From March to May, I am registered for two classes. This means, by the end of May, I should be 9 hours in to a 30 hour program!

Jan - March: 1.) The Modern Elementary School
March - May: 2.) Curriculum Management & Assessment
3.) Reading & Writing Foundations

I will keep you posted on how it goes. Wish me luck!!

Meal Plan Monday

Last week ended up being a pretty crazy week! We spent a lot of time with family and ate with Jeff's parents a few nights. So this week we are going to have some of the meals that I had planned for last week!

Dinners:

1. chicken tetrazini
2. lasagna
3. burgers
4. hot dogs and french fries
5. chicken tenders

Lunches: (back to work now, so no more big lunches!)

1. sandwiches and chips
2. salad
3. chicken tenders

And for Jacob... we will continue with squash and by the end of the week should be able to start with some green veggies!

Goals

My two favorite months are August and January. I love these months because they mark the beginning of the school year and the beginning of the calendar year. I just love the feeling of a nice, clean, fresh start.

I was really inspired by Dave Ramsey's podcast on January 4th, 2010. So inspired that I listened to it again today. Here are some of his points that really stuck out to me:


On average, resolutions last about 45 days - That's about to Valentine's Day.


So what should we do? Don't make resolutions - set goals! The difference is that goals are specific and determined. If you wanna "change your entire freakin life," not just 45 days of it, then make goals!


Goals should:
1.) Be Specific
2.) Be Measurable
3.) Be YOUR Goal
4.) Have a Time Limit
5.) Be Put in Writing


To read more about what Dave says about the importance of setting goals, read his Goal Setting 101 here.

My goals are pretty personal, but I will share parts of them here. All of my goals can be pretty much be put into five "BIG" goals (in no particular order):

1. Grow Closer to the Lord
2. Be a Better Wife/Mom
3. Take Better Care of Myself
4. Be a Better Steward of my Money
5. Be a Better Teacher

I realize that these are not very measurable, but I promise they will be. My plan is to make smaller, measurable goals that fit into these bigger goals. I am still trying to flesh these goals out. In the meantime, I will leave you with these quotes:

Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed." Cavat Roberts


"Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin


"Decide what you are going to do differently this year. Otherwise this is going to be just another year. What kind of wimpified existence is just another year??" Dave Ramsey

Christmas Presents : )

A few of my highlights:

Reversible Tote in Night and Day

Get Carried Away Tote in Purple Punch

A Busy Body Book

A few of Jacob's highlights:

And of course Daddy got some tools that I cannot even begin to tell you about, but I think his favorite gifts were probably these:

Matching Alabama jerseys : )

Crunchy Cheese Sticks

I like these crunchy cheese sticks, but not the way my husband does. He LOVES them. I am always asking him for suggestions while meal planning, but it's really more like pulling teeth. So this week, when he suggested these, I called up his momma and got the recipe. It usually takes me several attempts to get her recipes right, but I think I nailed this one on the first try. : )

1/2 cup butter

2 cups flour

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (then I added about 1/16 more)

4 oz (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

1. Beat ingredients well, then add 5 tbsps cold water (I added a few tablespoons more).
2. Roll mixture into a ball and refrigerate about ten minutes.
3. Roll out until pretty thin, but not too thin. (Vague, I know, but really just about1/4 inch.)
4. Cut into strips. (I used a pizza cutter.)
5. Place on cookie sheet and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until brown on top. (I baked mine for almost 20 minutes because the hubby likes them crispy.)

Voila! You have yourself a nice batch of cheese sticks. We ate ours with chicken noodle soup.