7:12 Sausage and Tortellini Soup

I usually make a chicken tortellini soup but we had sausage not chicken so I found another recipe.  We used this one from epicurious 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/italian-sausage-and-tortellini-soup-2537 we didn't have zucchini or red wine and used chicken broth.  But we liked the soup maybe more than our usual tortellini soup, but we like spicy chorizo.  Next time we will probably add more broth as well.   

Play date 3 - Central Library

This morning Holly text for a play date.  We've been trying to hook up a date for several weeks.  But today we did it.  It was raining so we went for some free fun at the Central Library Kidzone.  Miriam and Rachael joined Jones, Ewan, holly and I as well.  The boys are literally almost as tall as Miriam and they are for sure heavier.  It's so neat to see them all growing up and interacting.  It's hard to believe that like 4 years ago none of my quilty friends had kids and now we have a pack of them. 

Jones was a little ornery wanting to take everything out and not being so good at sharing.  But he enjoyed himself.  Afterward Holly and I took the boys for Punch Burger where they ate ketchup with a side of tots and slider.  

Thanksgiving

For thanksgiving we went to my moms.  She cooked us dinner for her birthday (she wanted to).  We enjoyed ourselves, Jones especially.  He loved the cats, and the new stacking cups.  He also liked taking a trip to the park.  It was a good short trip. I wish I had remembered to take a group photo.  But we only got a partial group that Dustin took.

Jones literally was soooo sleepy when we sat down to dinner he ate cranberry sauce and black beans and a smudge of potatoes then wanted to nap on his tray.

We continued to work on potty training. He tried on daddy's glasses.

I am thankful for a lot of things this year see prior thankful Tuesday 10s.  

Happy birthday Momo!

It's my moms birthday today (and thanksgiving).  Happy happy happy!  We are so thankful for her help around the house and it's so great to see her interact with Jonesy. 

Book 55 - The Bassoon King

Book 55 The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson - this year I am on a roll.  Nobody saw that coming.  I have read a lot of celebrity books this year I feel like.  I actually really liked this one.  Rainn had a lot of interesting things to share and I appreciate his passion for education and philanthropy.  I also already loved Dwight Schruete and soulpancake.com (one of his side projects) so I enjoyed his book. A I liked his question towards the end of the book "What are ten things you KnOW" - I plan to blog that later this month.  But anyhow this one I would read again probably best celebrity book all year (of course I have already forgotten the other 5 or so don't quote me on that.)

Tuesday 10 - Thankful For

Well I have missed too many days of blogging in November but I have been working on this list for at least a week:

1. Snuggles from this guy.  There's something so great about a baby hug.  I also am a fan of how he tells me "hi" each I enter a room.

2. IMQG - it's so excellent to have a group of friends with similar interests and inspiration.  (ps we made this quilt).

3. Nana who comes to play for a few days.  Jones has soooo many things to tell you.

4. The hard work this guy puts in each week.

5. Date nights that include baby jones.  

6. Quiet moments to myself.

7. Healthy baby coming in 2016.  Ps like 75 days!

8. Heat!  Our heater filter needed to be changed (shame shame). And I thought my furnace was broken!

9. Gods grace.

10. Friendships both new and old. 

6:12 Pot Roast

I haven't made pot roast since my days at crackerbarrel and I am not ever sure why not.  It's super simple.  I am probably going to have to make it again soon.  I ended up following this recipe from QueenBee coupons... http://queenbeecoupons.com/slow-cooker-crockpot-coca-cola-beef-roast-recipe-simple/

True to form I did alter the recipe to use more coke (a whole can) and we didn't add potatoes although I ate the leftover roast with leftover mashed potatoes from another night.  (This is shown in said photos).  Our roast was super large too so I actually split it into two parts and cooked on in the oven at 275 for like 5 hours.  

Overall it was good.  I wished it had more flavor but it was better the next day.  And also the crockpot roast was by far superior to the oven one although they looked the same.  

Pitch-in Friendsgivingish Dinner

A month or so ago we talked about having a pitch-in with friends.  We never scheduled it because of various things going on etc.  But with thanksgiving coming up I thought why not now.  

I invited some friends over.  

I made pot roast and spinach artichoke dip (more about those later).  

People showed up.

They brought dishes.

They played with Jones.

We fixed plates.

We ate.

We talked.  

We watched YouTube videos.

Jones entertained.

I held baby Louise.

Jones gave her hugs.

There was dessert.

I took literally one photo and didn't pay attention to my phone.

It was a good evening.

(Said photo is here... jones waving bye to Louise)

Childless Date

Meant to post this like 5 times!  Our friend Lynley babysat for us.  And boom we went on a childless date to our friends surprise 30th party!  

We got stuck in traffic and literally were pulling up to her house as she arrived back home.  So we almost spoiled the surprise but we had fun!  Happy 30 Mrs Hawkeye aka Ashlie!

Adventures in Potty Training

We decided recently it might be time for potty training, he started telling me he "beed" which was something we were waiting for before we started.  

So we got him a seat and set forth.  So far we have been working Jones up to not being terrified of the potty.  Last week he was mortified by the idea of sitting on it.  Literally he was screaming and begging for us to take him down.  

But we have been talking about it.  Pointing at it when in the bath.  He's even been putting his seat back on when we've removed it for ourselves.  And gradually we are convincing him it's okay to sit on without a diaper.  We've been reading on the toilet which he enjoys so maybe we'll get there.  He has been telling us more about using his diaper though which is good.  Like yesterday he brought me wipes and a diaper and said "botty... shooey". Botty = Potty so he was very aware that he went to the bathroom just doesn't quite get we want it in the potty.  

Some people keep telling me he's not ready or that we should have started sooner personally I that he is our baby so we can decide what we think.  And I see progress so this is good.

Date Life with a Toddler

We went out for steak the other night.  Jones attempted to use the booster seat it lasted long enough for him to grab all the things on the table and then we resorted to putting him into the belted high chair (ahhhhh much better).  

He did enjoy sorting the sugar packs with me, and then one went in his mouth and we promptly snatched them out of his eyesight.  He continued to enjoy himself though waving at all the servers and employees as they passed by.  He also decided despite his normal distaste for bread that he was into it and are two whole pieces. He also ate his mashed potatoes with a butter knife which he seemed to think was a spoon.  We tried several attempts to swap it out to screaming fits in which we just gave back the butter knife.  

He seems to prefer mommys well done steak to daddy's rare although he eats them both.  At the end of dinner jones needed his own take out box too for his crayons as he was very interested in the one with leftover steak in it.  

Overall aside from a few screaming fits about the knife, and the giant mess he made on the floor it was a good date.  

WIP - Quilts

This was supposed to be yesterday's post but I got sidetracked and then fell asleep instead of blogging.  Oh well I mostly blogged every day in November.   Anyhow here's what's in the works...

My block of the months.  Several months ago I cut pieces for three blocks.  Sadly I didn't label them I didn't put the pieces in a separate bag so it's really hard to tell what piece goes with what.  I did finish the May block though although the finished dimension is funky but it's too big so I will trim it.  These are the BoM that Thea and I are working on.  http://www.sewmamasew.com/2012/05/modern-block-of-the-month-bom-may-sew-along/

My Michael Miller Challenge which I need more black solid fabric to finish.  This is really much bigger than this photo in real life.  I do love how this neon gingham worked with the rest of the prints though.

My rainbow scrappy quilt.  I need a larger piece of batting to baste this.  I think the quilt will be for the new baby though.  I am going to make her a quilt for her room too but I want to keep this one as well.

Thanks to my little helper who sat on my lap as I finished the May block. 

I have my improv quilt almost pieces too but I put it away, before I took photoshop.  Also I have two gift baby quilts with pieces cut.  But I also want to make our baby a quilt.  Too many projects too little time.

I think it's time to finish a project.

Tuesday 10 - Thankful November

This week I am doing things I am thankful for since its November.

1. Our new blessing.  This pregnancy is flying by she will be here before we know it.  

2. Small group, thank you for bringing gods grace to my house for a small segment of time each week.

3. Spinach artichoke dip leftover from small group. So good.

4. Best friends.  This summer took some of my friendships to a whole new level.  

5. daily joy.  Every day I experience with this guy.  You don't know what you are missing good and bad until you add in the biggest challenge of your life.

6. Father and son relationships blossoming.  Yes and yes.  

7. The "spot" book aka "pot book". Despite reading this between 10-20 times a day it's like a tiny gift to see your son interpet the book and start to repeat the words before you do. 

8. Having enough even a little more.  Sometimes you learn the value of enough and not in the way you want.

9.  New pants.  I needed these sooooo bad everything I owe seems to have holes and Dustin bought me three pairs and after I exchanged the one that didn't fit I don't need to do laundry daily.

10. Creative time.  From about 9-11 several nights a week I work on a creative project and it's great.  

Monday's

On Mondays Momo/grandma comes to visit and do some light housework.  We also usually pick up Jones from school early and they play together.  It's so cute to see him interact with her.  He calls her "Ma" or "MaaaMaaa" now but we are working on changing it to Nana.  He gets so excited for her and doesn't like it when she leaves for bible study or when she doesn't come with him to school on Tuesday morning.  

He also loves calling her and Eita (Lita) on FaceTime.  He Doesn't say much to them just yet but often he just laughs at them or tries to touch them thru the phone.  It's also adorable how he pretend calls them he will yell into his fake phone or the computer mouse he uses as if they can hear him calling if he's loud.  I just chuckle.

November

So far in November I have blogged everyday.  It's actually been a unspoken goal of mine (today the cats out of the bag).  I haven't been very good at blogging this year and I missed it.  So I hope I can keep with it not daily blogging but just more regular after November.  Anyhow I made four other November goals so I figured I would share them: 

1. Blog Daily

2. Make advent calendar

3. Go on a childless date

4. Send some random packages

5. Make PopTarts 

So far I have plans for 2 & 4 so maybe I will get them all accomplished.  Fall has been despite Jones being sick (twice), so November should just continue along this path.  

Family Photos - September Take 2

In September my friend Amy ( http://indyfamilyphoto.com/index.php/about/) took photos of us.   Here are a few of the family snaps to add to my family photo project.

Love the skyline in the background. The below is also one of my favs that boy.

quilt for Louise - half square triangles

I actually finished this in August!  About a week after our friends daughter Louise was born.  I kept forgetting to give it to her and to take pictures of the quilt!  But I did get some pictures by my friend Amy Garro aka http://13spools.com and http://indyfamilyphoto.com/index.php/about/ at the September IMQG meeting.  

This quilt was really simple the blue fabrics my brother sent me from a leftover project he did.  I paired them with this Kona pink and then did two different designs with hst on each side originally the quilt was to be much larger but the baby was due, so I improvised.  I actually still have about 8-10 more triangles so maybe they will appear in another project. 

I love the back best on this one and the puckering from the quilting.  There is something so lovely about the random triangles I think.