18 Month Portraits

Ziti Recipe

A couple of people have asked for this recipe...since I am a little forgetful, I thought I would post it on the ole' blog. I am actually waiting on this to finish baking to take to the Wilkerson's, so I am going to go ahead and post it since it is fresh on my mind. I got this from Tiffany about a year ago. It is yummy, easy, and makes lots and lots.



Ingredients:

1 box of ziti (boil following directions on box)

1 huge jar of spaghetti sauce (2lbs., 13 ounces)

2 T Italian Seasoning

3 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 egg

16 ounces of Ricotta

1/2 cup Parmesan

1 T parsley

1/2 t salt



Steps:

1. Mix sauce and seasonings.

2. Take out 2 cups of the sauce and set aside.

3. Take the leftover sauce and mix with the ziti.

4. Take about 1/2 of the above and put in the bottom of a casserole dish and add 1 c of mozzarella.

5. Mix egg with ricotta cheese and salt.

6. Pour over mozzarella.

7. Pour the remainder of pasta.

8. Add the remainder of sauce and cheese.

9. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, uncovered.

8. Add the rest of the cheese.

9. Broil until the cheese is melted. (About 5 minutes)

18 Month Wellness Check

Yesterday, Jackson had his 18 month wellness check with Dr. Wiley. We love Dr. Wiley!! Jackson weighed 25 pounds, 5 ounces (45th percentile) and 33 inches long (55th percentile). His noggin' was still in the 90th percentile. Jackson is right on target with all of his developmental milestones. He had received 2 vaccines yesterday, and has to go back for another in October. We are so thankful for a healthy little boy.

A Couple of Jack-isms at 18 months:
Me: I want my sippie cup.
Mo: Give me more of whatever you just fed me OR used as again.
Doe: Toe or Door
On: He grabs his shirt all the time, and lets people know..hey, it is on.
Yuck: Change this nasty diaper.

And my personal favorite: Mo Yuck...I pooped again. Get it off of me, mama.

Jackson's New Favorite Things at 18 months:
Elmo: Jackson LOVES Elmo.
Books: He loves to sit in Blake or my lap and read books for a very long time.
Shoes: Wants to wear them all the time. He toddles around in his PJs and "Sunday Shoes" quite often.
The Tractor: Loves to go for a ride on the lawn mower with Daddy after dinner.
Natural Chee Tos: He would eat the whole bag if we would let him. If he sees me put them in the cart...meltdown.

Wordless Wednesday

At the Car Wash

Futbol

For the past two months, we have been leaving church rather quickly on Sunday afternoons, and heading to the soccer field. Blake played for Team Zissou again this summer. They won 3 games and lost 4. Today was the tournament. They won the first match, and lost the second. Blake played an awesome season. He just started playing last summer. I am proud of him for not being afraid to try something new. Lots of the people have played for a long time, some even played in college and professionally. Way to not be intimidated, Blake. Love you!

What 'Cha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

Our land line has been acting insane for about the past 2-3 months. I have heard my neighbors discussing dinner plans through my phone line, as well as not being able to receive phone calls, and have not been able to dial out on many occasions. The phone company has been out to repair the line several times, but we are continuing to have issues.

So, Friday night Blake and I were getting ready to go eat dinner at some friends' house. As I was finishing putting on my makeup, Blake and Jackson were hanging out in the living room. Suddenly, our doorbell rang. Blake announces that the police are at our house. Um, yeah. So, Blake opened the door, and the officer chuckled and asked Blake if his wife was beating him. Okay??? Apparently, he could tell by our dispositions and moods that we were not having any issues or emergencies. Our phone line had been calling 911 repeatedly, and when the operator called us back, the call wouldn't go through. So, the police came to check on us, to make sure all was well. We then figured out what happened. Another officer was pulling in the drive way as we were clearing up the confusion.

Hopefully, our phone will be fixed tomorrow and we will not have any more encounters with the SDPD.

Decluttering: The Kitchen

Jackson was napping in our room today, and since I did not want to wake him from his slumber in any shape, form, or fashion, I cleaned out kitchen cabinets instead of working in our bedroom and bathroom.

Everything was pretty out of place...the last time I cleaned them out, I was about 9 months pregnant. And a toddler wasn't exploring things, resulting in me throwing everything into the closest hideaway I can find. I got rid of a couple of random things that I never use, and I have them loaded up to donate tomorrow. I also wiped the insides out with Pledge, so now they are shiny and lemony fresh. Wanna see?

Baking Ware and Pots&Pans

Small Appliances

Wordless Wednesday

School Days

Jackson started Mother's Day Out again on Monday. He is going two days per week from 9-2, just like last year. I also decided to work there again this year for a little extra fundage. He will still be in the baby room (with me), since he does not turn two until February. This may be a blessing in disguise....the church nursery is very often hit or miss with Jackson.

It is so weird...when I worked there last year, he hung out in a bouncy seat, swing, and Exersaucer. Now, he is all over the place.

Home Improvement

Blake and I are quite amazed at the amount of "stuff" we have accumulated in our almost 5 years of marriage. Some the "stuff," we, of course, use on a daily basis. The other stuff. Well. We have decided to simplify. And get rid of stuff. I am hoping to go through our house, room by room, and get this place whipped into shape and.... declutter. My goal is to be finished, well, by the end of the year. We are also going to take each room and make a list of improvement projects that we want to do, and as the ole' funds allow, do some projects around the house.

Project number 1: Paint the vanity in the master bathroom. This was originally my project. But in the end, it was only my idea. I did help pick out the supplies. But, guess who did most of the work? Not I.

Before:
Old Hardware Sanding down the doors

The finished product!

This past weekend's project was not a photo op. We replaced the toilet seat. I'll spare you the shots. But, I will mention that Blake and I got into a rather heated discussion at Home Depot. He wanted one of the soft, squish seats.

This is our "To Do" list for the master bathroom:

1. Replace the shower curtain liner and swap out the shower curtain from the guest bathroom. (It matches our bedroom).

2. Replace the valence.

3. Paint the walls and trim.

4. Lay tile. (We already have it left over from Dishwasher Drama. It just needs to be laid.)

5. Replace lighting.

6. Replace mirror.

7. Replace door hardware.

Wordless Wednesday (on Thursday)

Road Trip: Jackson and Mommy

Blake has been working very, very hard and very, very long hours in preparation for the new school year. He has been leaving many mornings around 6:00 and not getting home until around 8:00. I feel so bad for him! Tiffany's husband had to leave Monday to go on a business trip 8 hours away, leaving her to take care of Ellis, 36 weeks pregnant. So, just in case Lainey decided to make an early appearance, Jackson and I left Tuesday to go hang out. I thought Jackson would sleep the entire ride, but instead was very fascinated by all the trucks, and waved to each one and told them "Bye."

Tuesday, we just hung out at her house and let the boys play. Wednesday, Tiffany had a Doctor's appointment, and I watched both boys. Wow! It really is different with 2 children. I often felt like a referee, calling lots of interferences and violations. We then headed to the mall playground, which is always a winner. After nap time, we headed to Camino Real to eat dinner. This is a tradition every time we go to Murfreesboro. Tiffany treated me to dinner since I had drove to visit her. Thanks, girl! We then took the boys to a park near the house. It was set up like a fort, with a separate toddler area.

Thursday, Jackson and Ellis were getting over their three day play date. Tiffany and I joked that we were just going to let them duke it out once and for all. We left around lunch time. As I was getting on the interstate, traffic was backed up forever! So, I hit the detour button on the GPS, and I came home a different route, through Dunlap. It was a pretty drive, but I did pass a horse and buggy on the highway at some point, as well as various signs that said "Roadside Table Ahead." Sure enough, there were little picnic tables set up along this route, instead of fast food chains. It was a very pretty drive, it just took a little bit longer. I would rather drive a little farther than sit still on the interstate.

We had a fabulous time, and I can't believe Lainey will be here in just 3-4 weeks!

An Extra Special Birthday Wish

Saturday night, we celebrated Ben's first birthday at Camp Coffman. He is such a special little boy. Blake picked out a shirt for Ben's gift that said, "I'm kind of a big deal." Ben is definitely a big deal. His mama and daddy had the sweetest party for him.

Everyone released a red balloon and made a birthday with for Ben.

Jack-man swinging on the playground.

And the sweetest little picture. Happy Birthday, Ben! You and your family are so special!