patrick at 20 months

You're the coolest kid around, buddy.  I swear you are.  I love so many things about you, but here are some of the things I love right now.

I love that...

• you want cookies at 3 am.
• you can spot a semi-truck a half mile away.  i'm jealous of your eyesight, dude.
• you say 'tractor ride' 250 times a day.
• you run full force to your daddy when he gets home.
• you want ice cubes in your milk.
• sometimes when i turn around you've unscrewed your sippy lid and there's a puddle of water on the floor - you say "oh no!"
• you scoot your chair up to the counter to watch me cook.  but you also pull bananas off their bunches, peel garlic, push down the toaster...
• you smile with my diamond ring bling blinging out of your teeth.  (true story)
• you will cuddle with me and watch TV.
• you can sit and watch and episode of wow wow wubzy on youtube and give your mommy 12 minutes of blissful peace.  thanks, sweetheart.
• you aren't afraid of anything.
• you repeat things i say.  for instance, "right here bud!" or "hey cutie!"  it sounds so much better in your voice.
• you love being outside just like your mom & dad.
• you put your butt up to the faucet in the bathtub and let the water run down your back.
• when i say there's a baby in my belly, you pat your belly too.
• you love me as much as i love you.

a really easy apple pie

Filling:

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. cinnamon

dash of salt

8-9 apples (or 5 large apples)

1 Pillsbury pie crust (or you can make your own)

 

 

Topping:

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. butter, softened

 

 

Directions:

Peel and slice all apples.  Put in a large bowl and mix all filling ingredients together.  Pour into pie crust.  In a separate bowl mix all topping ingredients together with a pastry blender; crumble on top of pie.

 

Bake at 425° for 35-40 minutes.  I covered the edges of the crust with foil for the first 20 minutes.

 

Serve with vanilla ice cream.  MMMmmmm!

my pregnancy workout

 

 

Now that I'm finally feeling better, the working out is on.  Twice a week is my goal - once during the school week and once on the weekend.  Fair enough, right, considering I have a small human being running the show around here?

 

The best videos I have found are FREE on Youtube.  They're made by a woman who goes by Dr. Cathy - she's a nutritionist and a chiropractor, has two children and has a banging body.  But what I love about her is that she filmed her workouts in her backyard so they're very personal.  You feel like she's talking directly to you, coaching you through it.  What's even better is that the videos are only in the 7-8 minute range, so even if you don't have time to do a couple different videos twice, you can fit in a quick one and feel good about it.  I don't know about you other pregos, but a 60-minute pilates session sounds horrible whilst carrying around a lemon-sized baby.

 

Dr. Cathy has five different videos - a warm-up, biceps & legs, chest & triceps, back & butt, and my personal favorite - yoga.  None of them are too challenging, they're just enough so you feel refreshed and strong.  I used these videos up until I went into labor with Patrick, so even when your baby is no longer lemon-sized but watermelon-sized, they're doable.

 

 

Another bonus is that you don't need a ton of gear.  I hate gear.

 

{And if you only have one set of weights or you only feel comfortable with the lighter set, no biggie.}

 

 

 



 

I even used her videos after I had Patrick.  Well, like twice.  Happy exercising!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

stone lab 2013

Hey ya'll!  I just got back from my 6th graders class trip on Gibralter Island (near Put-in-Bay if you're familiar).  We visited the Stone Lab that's run by The Ohio State University - it was a blast.  I got to go last year as well and this year was just as fun.  I can't show you all 200 pictures that I took of my students (because I'd be arrested) but here are a few shots of me on the island.

You can see we had the most perfect weather on our very own and very beautiful Lake Erie!