34 Weeks

Beautiful Blog

Today I am loving this blog: www.loppisliv.blogspot.com

Who cares if it's all written in Sweedish! Each picture speaks a thousand words, eh?

Nesting . . . Or at least my way of nesting:)

And the Tree Came Tumbling Down . . .

I'm familiar with the usual sounds that jingle around my home. Kate playing with her buggy and crashing it into everything. Or her stroller that plays a certain tune. I know when I hear noises coming from the bathroom that tattle on whomever forgot to shut the door and has since become a playground for our almost two year old. I know the sound of wrappers in the pantry -- another door that insists on being closed or else trouble follows. The scary thing is when you hear something unfamiliar . . .

I was upstairs putting some stuff away when I heard some jingly sounds then complete silence. I paused for a second trying to identify the noise. A few seconds later it clicked and I had to wonder if just maybe . . . and sure enough! The tree was laying on its side and two very pleased little girls were checking out all the goods that once were purposely out of reach. Kate had already found the candy canes and curly topped cousin Bella was inspecting each little ornament.

I plopped my plump, pregnant self down on the ground feeling a bit defeated. I couldn't be upset. They are after all curious pre-two-year-olds which means those chubby little hands find trouble whether they are looking for it or not. I tried to set the tree back upright, but it just would not stand. The girls were anxious to help, but a bit lacking in the strength department. (It would have helped if I would have recognized the ornament underneath the tree stand which was making it impossible for any upright positioning. Luckily my sister came in and rescued our pitiful looking tree. And surprisingly enough, only one ornament broke . . .

Christmas Eve

The boys work together to assemble Kate's Chirstmas present

Grandma and Kate

Santa's Cookies

Ike's little tree

Aunt Kathy helps Isaac conquer the packaging

Cousin Bella Tries Out Kate's New Table

Yummy Yucky Book

Cousin Love

Kate and Bella

Christmas Morning

Home for the Holidays

Ike is officially home for two weeks of holiday vacation. It thrills me to no end to have him home and not have to worry about the weather! Bring on the snow!

His backpack (or "packpack" as Kitty likes to say) came home stuffed to the brink of holiday goodies. He made a present for Bill and I (a cute little plate with a drawing of our house, his name, and "Mom" written twice on it). Oh! those gifts are too wonderful for words and he is ever so proud of it! I'll be happy to share it's cuteness . . . as soon as I get my hands on that camera:)

In other news, I went in to Sportsman's Warehouse to purchase a shotgun (Bill's wants one to go hunting next year) and found myself defeated and unable to make the purchase. I filled out the paperwork and found that I've yet to change the address on my driver's license. Ahh! Furthermore, my registration in the truck is still with our old address and I don't have a utility bill with the city! I've no government document that states we live where we live. Actually, I think the car may be registered in our new address so I have to check it out when Bill comes home. So there I was, defeated and had to waddle out of the store without a present for Bill for Christmas . . . Maybe I'll try again tonight.

57 Days

The pregnancy widget is announcing that I've just 57 days left before baby gets here. Or 57 days to finish making his quilt. Or 57 days left to figure out what diapering system we plan on using this time around. Or 57 days to settle on a name. Basically, that widget is starting to get annoying.

Lately I feel huge. I'm back to feeling tired. I'm starting to have contractions. And I'm trying to enjoy every last bit of this pregnancy. However, I sure am ready to meet this little fella!

Bill has made this pregnancy fantastic -- even though it's been the most difficult by far. He's jumped in on all the household chores, has proven himself to be a terrific cook, and he dutifully lifts my heavy legs into bed at night. YES. Pregnancy legs are extremely heavy at the end of the day. I haven't heard a bit of complaining that my pillows take up more than my fair share of the bed. He just arranges them for me and sleeps on whatever room there is left.

As for my family, we've been absorbed in celebrating the holiday season. Isaac has been practicing for his Christmas program at school tomorrow. I never knew how beautiful "Silent Night" sung off key would sound. I don't ever want him to stop singing it. His holiday enthusiasm is so infectious! Kate is watching us intently, but doesn't much care that we sing songs and bake cookies. She's too busy changing her baby doll's diaper (we go through LOTS of wipes), swaddling the beloved doll, and putting her to bed. And of course she does this routine over and over again. And to add some excitement to the baby doll duties, she's been given another baby doll to take care of and is doing an exceptional job taking care of both babies. Bill has been hit hard at work with endless cases and a lot of extra hours. We are really looking forward to his Dad coming out for Christmas and having Bill home for a WHOLE week! Me? Well, I've been wrapped up in the merriment of children at Christmas -- I probably should go work on that quilt or finalize Baby's name . . .

P.S. There will be pictures again shortly. I have no idea where the memory card is, but I did spy something black and shiny that may or may not say "Nikon" on it hiding in the closet;)

Menu and Grocery List

My sister Michelle and I both have the Taste of Home Cookbook (it's burgundy). We recently picked it up at Costco and we've found it to be fabulous for family meals. In case you picked one up too and would like to follow along as we plan and cook, here is our menu and grocery list. Please note that I also put spaghetti noodles and sauce in the grocery list as a "just in case we're in a rush" meal. Don't be too intimidated by the list of spices on the grocery list. You probably already have most of them.

MENU

1- Manhattan Clam Chowder (p 82) serves 6-8
Jamie's French bread (not in recipe book but the recipe is under the recipe label on my blog)
2- Seasoned Rib Roast (p 107) serves 6-8
baked potatoes
green beans
3-California Clubs (p 93) serves 4
salad
4-Teriyaki Chicken (p 229) serves 4-6
rice
peas
5-Tuscan Soup (p 86) serves 4
salad
6- Lemon Batter Fish (p 258) serves 5
salad
7- Spiced Chili (p 88) serves 12
8- Prime Rib and Potatoes (p 111) serves 2
9- Pierside Salmon Patties (p 264)
green beans
10- Sunday brunch casserole (p 289)



Grocery List

PRODUCE
onion 4
celery
green pepper 1
garlic
potatoes (large bag)
fresh parsley
carrots (1 bag)
spinach
tomato 1
avocado 1
lemon juice
salad mix (I get mine at Costco because we eat a LOT of salad)

MEAT
1 1/2lb ground beef
1 boneless beef rib roast (3-4 lbs)
1 standing beef rib roast (3lbs and 2 ribs)
perch fillets (2 lbs)
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
12 drumsticks
2 pkgs bacon

BREAD

sourdough loaf

DAIRY

butter
cheddar cheese (2 8oz pkgs should do)
eggs (18)
milk

FROZEN

green beans
peas
hash browns

BAKING

baking powder
flour
yeast
brown sugar
rosemary
lemon pepper seasoning
garlic powder
cayenne pepper
olive oil
ground ginger
dill
thyme
Bay leaves
Chili powder
basil
Italian seasoning
oregano
marjoram

CANNED

diced tomatoes (28 oz can)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans clams
2 cans salmon
1 can white kidney beans
2 cans red kidney beans
chicken broth (1 box)

EXTRAS

whole wheat pasta (angel hair)
spiral pasta
rice
ranch dressing
dijon mustard
soy sauce
saltine crackers

Tis the Season

Christmas magic is spreading like wildfire in the Parramore household. So far we've managed to accomplish making a Christmas chain to help us count down the days until Christmas, decorate a mini tree, and embellish the tree with candy canes. I bought a bag of chocolate to fill the Advent calendar with as well, but me being in the state I'm in managed to consume (and I am NOT ashamed of the fact either:) almost the entire bag before Christmas even started here. Judge me. I can still button my pants (yet my belly does resemble that of Santa Claus). Anyway, it worked out well, because I've an angel of a friend who brought Ike over his very own chocolate Advent calendar. So everyone has remained happy and I have yet to go into a diabetic comma.

Ike is thoroughly enjoying the season. He carries his little tree around with him and remembers to cut a piece of the chain off every day. And lets not forget he makes sure he's set the night before on where the next days door is on the Advent calendar.

I hope your Christmas celebrations are full of joy and laughter as they are here. Remember we take a whole day to celebrate our country's freedom. We should be able to take a whole month to celebrate Christ's birth and setting us free from our sin.

P.S. I would post pictures, but I can't seem to find the little memory card. It's Kate's favorite thing to swipe . . . . I must have put it somewhere high so she couldn't reach it, but where??

Transform!

This morning I told Ike to get dressed when a couple of minutes later I hear lots of "transformer" sound effects. He was transforming from a jammie boy to a school boy:)

Advent Anticipation

We've got the tree up and decorated, the Christmas lights hung, and the other decorations spread around the house. Every morning I come out of my room to find a delighted little boy sitting amongst all the Christmas cheer. He turns the fireplace on, plugs in the Christmas tree lights, and pulls a chair over to the mantle so he can peek in all the Advent calendar doors to see if the chocolate has arrived. I love all his joy and anticipation. Christmas starts tomorrow little buddy!

Speech

A few days ago I sat Ike down and gently told him we were going to see the "speech teacher." I let him know that she wanted to talk to him to see if she could help him talk better. He had a few questions and seemed fairly uninterested.

So the other morning I was trying to tell Ike something when he turned around and said, "I can't hear you. There's something wrong with my voice."

Advent Activities

Here is my list of 24 Advent activities for this year. It sure does add a lot of hype and build up to Christmas day. Here is my list in no particular order (I just pick the one that suits what I'm up for that day).

1- Christmas jammies
2- Decorate little Christmas trees (Target has little trees for $2.50 and mini ornaments). I think Ike will really love having a tree in his room.
3- Make paper snowflakes
4- Christmas books
5- Hang candy canes on the Christmas tree
6-8 We are doing small gifts every Sunday
9- Make Christmas ornament
10- Watch the Grinch
11- Jammie ride (these are WAY more fun when you pick up your ice cream and go to Grandma's house)
12- Family game night
13- Movie date w/Daddy
14- Bubble bath in the garden tub w/Christmas music (I don't know why, but these are a BIG hit)
15- Hot chocolate for breakfast
16- Visit the reindeer
17- Bake and decorate Christmas cookies
18- Deliver cookies to Grandma and Papa
19- Make Christmas cards
20- Decorate the dinner table
21- Extra bedtime story
22- Eat a candy cane off the tree
23- Cinnamon rolls for breakfast
24- Read the Christmas story

Final Bedroom Design?

Kate

Kitty at Play

Kitchen Curtains

Snuggles for Daddy

Caring for a Puppy

It's always good to be prepared. You never know when Daddy might say "yes."

Bedtime Story

Baby P's Quilt

The widget tells me I have 89 days to finish this . . .

Muscle Men

Ike adores working out with Daddy and Bill enjoys having a workout buddy. I don't mind as long as the "working out" stays in the garage. NOT so cute when my towel bars get used as the pull-up bar. *Ahem*

Baby's Wardrobe

Don't worry. Ike and I checked it out and we've confirmed that the White Witch does not dwell inside:)

Dreaming of Christmas

Ike and I went to the mailbox the other day to find a Target toy ad. "Look, Mom!" Ike exclaimed. "It's a magazine for me!" He's been toting it around everywhere and dreaming of Christmas. So cute.

Kitty is dreaming too!

Preparing for Baby

I haven't done much of anything in preparation for baby. Does unpacking a house count? What about taking it easy? Wrapping up a lot of unfinished projects? Grandma Linda, however, has been VERY busy and sent us home with a stack of blankets and burp cloths (it's good to spit up on decorated fabric these days).

Thanks, Mom for all the blessings of blankets and burp cloths. You are the most productive woman I know:)

Tea Towel Time

After weeks and weeks of planning on going to the craft store, I finally made it. My main motive was to get tea towels to embroider for an extra winter project. After all, with my expanding waistline all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch and enjoy the crackling fire. Okay, so it's a gas fireplace that I turn the switch on and the only noise it makes comes from the fan. Whatever. I am just really happy to have a fireplace. Anyway, here is my stack of tea towels just waiting to be embroidered. Sadly, they are going to have to wait. Right now I'm just enjoying having something in my house that is folded, clean, and tidy. Housewiving duties are going to have to come first before I start pretending to be ambitious . . . Well, we'll see . . . That couch looks so cozy.

Design Plans

Inspiration Piece?

I am thinking of using this vintage painting as my "inspiration piece" for our master bedroom. I just can't decide if it will take the "master" part out of "master bedroom." Hmmm.

Sweetie, don't you think this would look great over a vintage door headboard?

Pink Cabinet

Not sure quite as to where I'll be putting this new vintage find, but it was bought to store our dvds. I think it's a unique find and put with the right decor it will look lovely . . .

Hmmm. It would make a terrific nightstand next to a vintage door headboard . . . What do you think, Sweetie? . . . Sweetie?

You Look Wonderful

Yesterday morning I walked out of my room to a very chipper Isaac eating his breakfast.

"Mommy," he says without removing his eyes from my expanding waistline,"you look wonderful!"

To him the bigger I get, the closer he is to having a "pet" brother. He's so excited!

Ready for Bed

If the camera comes out, Kate starts saying "cheese" . . . So of course I have to take her picture:)

Vintage White

Delightful Dish Washing

Doing the dinner dishes has never been so enjoyable. Usually clean up time involves a lovely sunset over the mountain below (thanks to my windows over the sink). Life is good:)

Smiling Kate