Sassy Boney

If you have a child between the ages of 0 to 5, then I'm sure you're familiar with Disney's Sharky and Bones, the "Greek chorus" of the cartoon Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

Otherwise lovingly called "Sassy Boney" by H.

He LOVES Sassy Boney.

And "Sassy Boney" is an improvement and after much work of what he was calling it - 

"Sexxxxy Bones."  

H loves to watch Sassy Boney on any iPhone, iPad, or TV he can find.

So you can imagine my delight when we'd be out at a restaurant or other public place, and he would yelled, "Sexxxxy Bones!  I want Sexxxxy Bones!" while grabbing whomever was closest iPhone. (You can't make this stuff up, folks.)

Should I be mildy alarmed that my two-year-old seems obsessed with two grown white men dresses as pirates?

Probably.

But I'm not alarmed enough to stop using them to cinch his temper tantrums, keep him entertained while out to eat or grocery shopping, or provide a family-friendly barrier to whatever else he could be watching.

Sassy Boney is a part of our family, whether we like it or not.

And don't think that myself, Daddy, DeeDee, PawPaw, T, and MiMi haven't learned their dance routines.

Because we have.  

Pork Tenderloin with Apples - New Recipe

We tried out a new recipe last week - hold your suprise face - with the Crock Pot.

I have a problem, I know, I know.

Before leaving for work, I threw in a plain pork tenderloin, 3 sliced red apples, some chicken broth (maybe 3-4 cups), cinnamon, and honey.

Cooked on Low for 8 hours.

Deliciousness ensued.  

Thanks Pinterest!

Best part - hands down - was that it fed us for two nights.

So that was two nights - in a row - that I didn't "have" to cook dinner after the haul home after a long day at the j-o-b.

Working mom's everywhere - you know this is a victory!

She's Here, and She's Fabulous!

My precious angel niece, Miss Elizabeth, graced us with her presence early last week.

Y'all.... she's beautiful.

Looks just like Sister, if I do say so myself.

I'm going to let Sister give you all the details, but here are some sweet snapshots from her birthday that I love!

The proud new Daddy.

Meeting Loo Loo

Meeting MiMi 

And T. 

And her Aunt Stina, who plans to spoil her rotten.

Cousin H was automatically protective of "Lisbet."

And called her "my baaaabeeee" more than once.

Oh dear.

Needless to say, we are all besotted by her! 

Welcome to the family, Elizabeth!

Summer Lovin' So Far...

We've been having some pretty wonderful Summer weekends around here...

We've hit up the Zoo and rode the Carousel for the first time.

Twice.

And we showed NO FEAR AT ALL in their new Dino Rocks exhibit.

Still apparently on the outs with the old laptop, as it refused to load most of my pics without doing them sideways....

And had a ball on the Farm for Memorial Day weekend!

Also showing NO FEAR in the swimming pool (even though it was a little cold).

But generally preferred splashing on the stairs.

That is not H's Coke.  I swear.

And loved trying DeeDee's homemade ice cream for the first time!

And some interpretative dancing with Uncle Mitchell.

Music in the background:  Sharky and Bones, a la Jake & the Neverland Pirates...

And basically just chilled out with our Summer Style...

Thanks to Aunt Melanie for the Memorial Day pictures!

Weekend Sale at AP Creations!

Did you hear?

AP Creations is having a 25% off sale this weekend!!!

I am obsessed with their super cute applique t-shirts for Harrison!

Annie's t-shirts are the best quality and price I have found so far - she's great!

Catch her ah-mazing designs at on her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/apcreations.

My Crock Pot Obsession - A New Recipe!

I'm starting to think I have an obsession with my crock pot.  

But, as I sit here with Winnie the Pooh's "Springtime with Roo" playing in the background, I wanted to share a new recipe that was so good, so ah-mazing, so rock-your-socks-off edible...

.... that even Mr. Smith deemed it "company food."

White Wine Chicken with Tarragon

I took a recipe I found online and modified it a little bit

Mickey Mouse cup not included - and sorry for the sideways picture.

Put the following in your beloved crock pot on Low for 6 hours:

1.  2 Chicken Breasts 

2.  Sliced and Washed Mushrooms

3.  Carrots

Mix the following and then add in crock pot on top of above:

4.  1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

5.  2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme

6.  Dash of Garlic Salt

7.  1/5 cup All Purpose Flour

8.  1-2 cups of cooking white wine (I added more for more gravy)

9.  1 cup chicken broth

10.  3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

11.  2 Bay Leaves

12.  1/4 cup Fresh Tarragon

I served over some Pasta.

Rocked our world.  

Enjoy!

Annual Review

I've been back at work now for a little over a year, and I thought an Annual Review would be a good check point.

Since it is late, let's lead with the opening line of....  

I'm tired/busy/runningafteratoddler/lastthingIwanttodoissitinfrontofacomputer.

Make sense?

I truly hit the jackpot with my co-worker group.

Sure, we're a little disfunctional.  A little crazy. 

A motley crew, if you will.

But with that comes a close knit group of family lovin', fun lovin', albeit looney tunes lovin' people that I'm lucky to hang with every day.

I recently read this book...

And am such an advocate of Mrs. Sandberg's voice of reason that she so articulately speaks of throughout her masterpiece.

If you're a woman... especially a working woman... pick this up and give it a whirl.

To keep things also interesting, I joined my corporate building's gym.

Hold your applause and feel free to giggle at the thought.

But for a month now I've been going at least three times a  week during my lunch hour to sweat it out (they come with showers, so my hygiene is still intact when I return to the desk).

This has been a fabulous investment, as I feel more refreshed and healthier.

Not to mention I'm usually reading my Kindle on the treadmill/elliptical, so I also get some mental boost time.

This may or may not be the reason I FELL OFF THE ELLIPTICAL on the first day.

Ahem.

So, in quick recap - awesome coworkers, Sheryl's manifesto, and gym.

What every mommy needs when working, right?

Let's not forget Mr. Smith.

Who really helps - probably more than I actually give him credit for - around the house.

He has learned that it's okay to fold clothes while watching "Duck Dynasty" and that it's okay to put our dishes away in the dishwasher while SportCenter is on.

A modern day marvel!

We're making it work, guys.  

We make look like zombies.... but we're making it work.

And I know you are too - what are your tips for working motherhood?