Oh my goodness!

Caroline has a few new favorite words and phrases. First, she loves to say "Oh my goodness" or "Oh my gracious" when she is surprised or generally whenever those phrases might be appropriate. She also says "buzz" instead of "because". So, if you ask her, "Caroline, why do you need that?" She'll usually respond with "Um, buzz, I need it."

Along those sames lines, last night I got home at about 7:15 from work because (buzz) I had a Council meeting. Caroline was already in the bath when I got home, so I went in to talk to her and Jeff. We had a rather funny little exchange that I thought I'd share.
Jeff asked me how the meeting went and I said, "Well, it was long and boring."
Caroline: "Where you were?"
Mom: "I was at a meeting and it was long and boring."
Caroline: "What you do?"
Mom: "I didn't do anything, I just had to sit there."
Caroline: "Oh, you not talk?"
Mom: "No, Caroline, I had to sit and be very quiet."
Caroline: "You was at work?"
Mom: "Yes, I was at work."
Caroline: "Oh my goodness!"
Mom: "Exactly how I feel baby."

Dancin'

Caroline had her first "dance recital" (to use the term loosely) yesterday morning. She has been taking a dance, rhythm, and movement class at school since August or September and those classes have truly been the highlight of her week. A woman that we know from First Pres started a company about three years ago and she goes into different preschools to teach dance to kids one day a week during school hours. It has been wonderful for Caroline. She loves to dance, loves music, and adores her teacher. Here are a few pictures from the big event, and yes, another video! The girls did such a wonderful job performing in front of a group. We were a very proud and entertained group of parents and grandparents! Oh, and Caroline wasn't the only one not wearing a full out ballerina costume, she just happened to be standing near the only three girls who did get dressed up. We tried on her leotard and tutu and ballet shoes from halloween, but of course they didn't fit anymore. So, she wore the tutu from Drew and Amelia with her pink shirt and pink tennis shoes, she seemed perfectly happy with that.

Rainy Days

We got some really heavy rain last week and a couple of streets near us were pretty flooded.  Jeff put Caroline in some play clothes and took her out to splash in the puddles in between storms.  Jeff shot some video of their adventure with our little camera.  Caroline was a little apprehensive at first, but as you can see, when Jeff shot this video, she had definitely warmed up to it and was having a great time.  And yes, that is Jeff breathing heavy as he tries to keep up with the little speedy.   

And here's another one.  Caroline also enjoyed watching (and helping) the leaves go down the drains.  

Have a good weekend!  

My mom always said that people use curse words when they don't have a good enough vocabulary to think of something better to say . . .

Heard about the uproar from the democrats in Washington about Bush's speech in Israel? Yeah, because no one hated America before Bush was in office. All of our problems started when he was elected, just in case you haven't been paying attention. I'll say that with the disclaimer that I'm not George Bush's biggest fan, but I think his detractor's take it too far.

Besides the fact that Biden's comments are childish, they are inaccurate. That's my opinion, and of course he is entitled to his. I think it is funny that after the President gives a speech that expresses one view of foreign policy, it is jumped on by the democrats as an attack on Barack Obama. Many democrats believe the same thing, they would bring terrorists and murderers to the table to "talk". I don't think that's a good idea and I believe it will not improve the image of America in the world. I'm not for appeasing people who would love to see our country blown off the map, but again, that's just my opinion. I read somewhere recently that Tony Blair said after 9/11, "They killed 3,000, they would have killed 30,000 if they could have." I agree and I don't think that point of view deserves the finger-pointing that it is getting right now from people who disagree.

Annie and cowgirls

I posted a while back about Caroline's new found love for Annie. We listen to the soundtrack just about every day in the car and we talk about Annie all the time now. I took a few pictures of her dressed up in her "Annie dress" a while back and I'm just now getting them on the computer. Here she is (and she was dancing to the Annie soundtrack, so I couldn't get her to stand still):

Yesterday afternoon Jeff came home from riding his bike and Caroline and I wee playing in the yard. Jeff pulled his bike out of the car and Caroline immediately went to the garage to her bike. She was in the grass, so she wasn't pedaling, but she was pushing herself around with her feet and watching Jeff as he got the rest of his stuff out of the car. As Jeff pulled a cowboy hat (don't ask) out of the car, Caroline went crazy and said she needed her hat. She ran inside and returned with a pair of pink boots that have to be about five sizes too big and an old hat. She put on her get up and rode around the yard and said she was a cowgirl. Here's our cowgirl:

I'm not saying that I like her, but . . .

Here's a article worth reading and pondering. As of late I've been wondering what in the world is going on in the democratic primaries, and this article expresses well one point of view. I haven't gotten overly involved in it, but I'm certainly thinking about what this writer says. I also checked out the link that she provides in the piece and it's a good read too.

Have a good weekend!

Cookin'

I didn't get the memo about blogs by moms needing to have a weekly post with a recipe or cooking demonstration, but as I surf the worldwide web, I see I have been neglecting a motherly duty! So, here goes:

I love to cook. I am definitely no gourmet cook, but I love cooking, especially when I have the time to make things I really like. Of course, many nights call for spaghetti or tacos, and those things are fine, but I like getting off of work early and taking the time to cook dinner. Today Jeff was picking up Caroline from school, so I took the opportunity to leave work a wee bit early and get home to cook red beans and rice. Some of my favorite things to cook are traditional Louisiana dishes: red beans, gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etouffe, etc. Oh and I have a funny Tennessee story about Louisiana food. A classmate and I were eating lunch at the same table one day when I was a 1L and he was asking questions about the foods people eat in Louisiana. He asked, "So do y'all really eat something that's supposed be good, but is really just rice and beans?" I laughed and said, "Well, it's called red beans and rice, and I think you'd like it if you tried it." He also pronounced jambalaya like this: "JAM-bay-la".

Just in case you haven't received the memo either, moms post pictures of their culinary creations on their blogs, so here goes!

Here's a look at the pot before I added the beans:

Here's a look at the pot with the beans:

And for good measure, here's my red beans and rice recipe:

1 lb. dried red beans

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1 or 2 cloves chopped garlic

1 or 2 tblsp oil

one package sausage (smoked is best, usually andouille or something like that)

thyme

3 or 4 bay leaves

cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

water

cooked rice

Soak the beans all day in a bowl of water (or overnight if you're cooking in the AM). In a cast iron pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. add the onions, celery, and bell pepper. Add the thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook for about five to ten minutes. Don't brown the vegetables, just cook them until soft. Add the sausage and bay leaves. Cook another five minutes. Add the garlic and beans. Add enough water to cover. Let this come to a boil. Once it boils, turn down heat to medium and let cook uncovered for at least an hour to an hour and a half. You may need to add more water at this point if the beans have gotten too thick. Test the tenderness of the beans by mashing a few against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. If the beans are not tender enough, continue simmering. Once the beans are soft enough, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to help thicken the mixture. Simmer for additional hour to hour and a half. Taste it and adjust the spices to your taste. Serve hot over a bowl of rice!

I rarely measure spices, so I just do all of these to taste.

There's my cooking post! I feel like I'm up on the times now.

And I know you can't tell tone over the internet, so I want to make a disclaimer that I'm not being condescending. I love blogs that show great cooking pictures and share delicious recipes.

If I was a dog . . .

Labrador Retriever
The Caretaker
Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modelling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk.

FAMOUS LABRADOR RETRIEVERS: Bill Cosby, Jackie Onassis, Dr. Phil, David Beckham

LIKELY PROFESSIONS: Doctor, Sales Executive, Teacher

You can take the quiz here!
Have a good weekend.