The Electric Company

Do any of you watch The Electric Company on PBS? Well, it is a wonderful show for the kiddos. I like it because it is very educational. Amelia likes it because of him........

Meet "Hector" (real name Josh Segarra). He's cute, sweet, and can sing and dance. And, according to Amelia "has great eyebrows and teeth". These physical attributes have lead Amelia to her all time, biggest of biggest, crushes. She even calls him "her handsome man". Oh goodness. If this is what 4 looks like, what is 13 going to look like??!!!! I'm sad to say, it looks like she is following in my footsteps. I remember having my first major crush around this age! This, is why she will ALWAYS go to an all girl school.

The sweetest thing

Introducing....... Fisher Elise Glasgow!!!!! She is here! She decided to make her grand entrance a couple of weeks early Sunday morning. She is, of course, perfect, and sweet, and exquisite, and beautiful :) I was lucky enough to make it to Nashville and spend some time with her, Heather, and Noel. I gotta say, I miss her already! She is such a sweet baby!

This is the day

I grew up singing this song while at St. Mary's and I love to see that the tradition has continued. I wasn't even aware Amelia knew the song until we were in Whole Foods (our home away from home) yesterday, and she decided to give a mini concert to the cashiers (who are like family now). She was so proud of herself as she got tons of claps and cheers :)

Ameliaisms - Part 2

A - Mom, I just spilled water on my boobs.

Me -You don't have boobs yet Amelia

A -Then, what are they? Nickels?

Hey, Mom, did you know I was married to a Doctor?

Mom, look, I'm making my Troy and Gabrille dolls "princess kiss". They're 30, so they're allowed.

Why does my heart have to beep all the time? 

I tried to tell her that was a good thing, but she insists it does it just to bug her!

Whew.... this has been such a hard day for me.... (apparently, going to school+playing = HARD)

You know why I'm crying, Mom? Because my heart loves you so much.

Makes me cry every time she says it!

Kind of like wearing a man's T-shirt, right???

I was walking behind Amelia at church yesterday when I noticed that her underwear was really showing through her dress. Hmmm, she only has pastel ones, I thought to myself. So, I asked what underwear she had. She then, in true Amelia fashion, pulled up her dress and told me that she had put on a pair of Cooper's Thomas the Train underwear!! She was so proud!

Summer....

Where have you gone? Since I have been seriously slacking in blogging this summer, I thought I would catch yall up a bit!! It has been a fun summer of swimming lessons, SMS camp, VBS, spider bites, beach vacation, Amelia's first kiss, summer concerts  and of course LOTS of cooking!

This was three weeks after Amelia got bit by a spider. It was horrible! She had blisters all over her hand that blinked red. Seriously. Not kidding. I had my own little E.T.

Scooting along

This is Alex. This is the young man that Amelia decided to plant one on in front of everyone. Here she is dragging him around the grocery. He looks thrilled, right?!

Swimming lessons were great! In two weeks, she was running and jumping in, swimming across the pool, and swimming under water. I was so excited for her!!!

Mom and I before the Keith Urban concert. We had a blast! Mom is now officially a groupie:) Really, we have a poster of him now!!!

Love fresh summer veggies!!! I made a million egg white omelets this summer with homemade salsa... sooo good!

Amelia in her Hannah Montana wig

She wanted to lay out.....

This has been a wonderful summer! I can't believe Amelia will start preschool next week! Ahh!! I am ready to get into a routine though. I am so sad to not be returning to Hope. I will be thinking of you all!

Ummm.... Yeah, its really been over a month

Bad news. Very bad news.... my camera is BROKEN :( So, so sad.  That has contributed to my lack of posts. I had to post something though because I was afraid if I waited any longer, this blog would be kaput. Why is my camera broken??? Well, you see, there is this precious little 4 year old who just loves to take pictures. Tons of them. All the time. I hope I have learned my lesson to not let her play with such expensive toys....

On a happier note (and I do mean happy)... I came across this earlier and it has made my day. A HUGE smile spread across my face. Any children of the 80's should be smiling big too :)

Check it out:

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2009/06/zack-attacks-late-night-signs-on-for-the-reunion/

FINALLY..... I get to share the good news!!

So, for a few months now, I have been dying to share some very exciting news!!!!!

Needless to say, Amelia is very excited as well!! She thinks its a boy and that his name should be Baby Colton!! Boy or girl, this baby is going to be so very blessed to have Heather and Noel as his/her parents! We love you and can't wait to meet Baby Glasgow!

You know your daughter is following in your foot steps when....

At three years old, this is what she wants for dinner........

A much needed day off

Working three jobs + not seeing enough of my sweet angel = a day of hooky!!!!!!!!!

The day went something like this :

11:15 - Pull up at zoo. It is crazy crowded and once again, I had to park in a field far, far away.

11:20 - Amelia starts begging to get her face painted. She doesn't want to see any animals until this happens. Definitely on the verge of a meltdown.

11:30 - After 10 minutes of searching, find a face painting booth that is open, which of course, is right by the entrance.

11:30 - Start waiting in line. Stand in awe of all the people......

12:00 - This women cuts in line with her five grandchildren. The woman behind me and I start discussing our options to get rid of her. Finally after five minutes of FRUSTRATION, an employee asks her to get in the line - back of the line. She leaves mad. I stay happy.

12:30 - My good friend, Ashleigh, calls!! She and Alexandra are at the zoo too!!! YAY!! They join us in line.

12:51 - Amelia FINALLY gets her turn to get her face painted. That's right, we waited an hour and 21 minutes. This face painting better be the best eva....

1:00 - Begrudgingly, give the face painter $16.95 for her work. WHAT???!!!!!!!! I am so in the wrong business. Molly, can you train me??

1:00 - Amelia and Alexandra start running around the zoo, with their faces painted. They would run up to random groups of people, pose, and wait for the "awe!! how cute!! aren't they just precious!!!"" compliments. They know how to work it.

3:45 - You know its time to leave when, the girls faces are streaked from tears.

4:00 - You know its true friendship when, Amelia's new panda gets a hole, Alexandra so kindly opens her stuffed animal to give Amelia some batting. That, everyone, is being a great friend!!

4:30 - Two BIG glasses of red wine. It was 5 o'clock somewhere....

All in all, this day was very successful!!! There is no other way I would rather spend my time!!

Check these out!!!!

Everyone needs to go to Paige Miller Photography !!! Click on proofs to see some of the pictures of Amelia from the other day. All I have to say is "WOW"!!! Paige is super talented!! They really are just beautiful. I want all of them!!! Thanks, Paige!!!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I don't want to brag - but, did you know that I had my OWN language when I was little. That' s right, my very own. My sister, Sara, was the only one who could understand me, although she herself could not speak it. My family still likes to remind me of the words I would say. I liked adding a syllable or two to my words. Apartment became aparatment, banana became banannana, cinnamon became cinnamomon..... you get the idea. Amelia does the same thing. I can't believe how much we are alike (remind me of this when I write a post about her throwing a fit or something ;) It's is crazy - we look alike, we talk alike, we have the same mannerisms. Some of the things that come out of her mouth are just plain funny. 

Here are a few favorite "Ameliaisms" from lately :

"When I was just a little born" - when I was just a little baby

"Yesteryear" - a while ago

"Ballina" - banana

"I'm so full of walking" - i'm tired of walking

"Beauuuty" - booty

"It's too fit" - if something is too big or to small and doesn't fit

"Awe, Mommy, I won't ever hit you" - Mommy, I love you a alot

"When I turn four I'm changing my name to Elizabeth" - umm, okay??

Look at these pictures!!! These were taken when I was the same age as Amelia is now...... and, yes, I enjoyed being naked when I was her age too.....

These are the Days of My Life....

I grew up watching soap operas. I loved them from an early age - too early. You could say I was border line obsessive. I would actually fake sick when I was young so I could camp out on the couch and watch Days of Our Lives. Sad. 

I  l-o-v-e-d Patch - who wouldn't like a guy with a pirate vibe going on?

 Oh, how I loved to watch them with my Grandma. She appreciated them as much as I did. It took years to wean myself off of them, but I am happy to say I haven't watched one in years. I am now wondering if this is because I don't need to watch them anymore, because I can just sit back and reflect on my own life. Sad. Funny. Maybe a little dramatic?? (Umm, yeah) One thing it is, is entertaining....

My daughter, who was still three just a few weeks ago has seemed to all of a sudden turn into a teenager overnight..... just like in the Soaps. Smocked dresses? Hair bows?? Nope, no longer. After all, that's what "babies wear".  My little girl who loved, loved, loved princesses has moved on to bigger things - two, in particular, named Troy and Gabriella.

She loves to think she is already a teenager. I like to think I still am. Anywhoo ... In some ways, this works to my advantage. Like when I am trying to bribe/encourage her to do something. Case in point - Yesterday, my friend Paige, asked if she could take some pictures of Amelia for her website. Now, if you remember my post from a few weeks back, getting a decent picture of Amelia is nearly impossible these days. She is either being silly, putting on her best fake smile, or naked - her new fav. So, I had one of these "encouraging" talks with Amelia before the photo session. I told her if she listened well, didn't act too silly, and smiled, we would take a trip to Target and buy the Troy and Gabriella dolls. Well, my hard-to-take-a-decent-picture-of-daughter, soon turned into a future super model. I was impressed. She had smiles and "candid" poses that I had never seen before. She really new how to turn it on. I got a peak of a few of the pictures and all I can say is I can't wait! You KNOW I will post them soon!

Recipe Round Up -Coq-Au-Fin ( the healthy version)

This is so delicious!! The chicken is so tender it falls right off the bone. The sauce is great spooned over the couscous as well! Enjoy!

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
2 chicken drumsticks, skinned
1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons dry gin
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 3 medium)
1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, halved
3 sprigs fresh thyme - removed from stem and chopped
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley; chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar


1. Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken. Heat butter and oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pan from heat. Pour gin into pan. Cook until evaporated. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

2. Add celery, carrot, shallots to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms. Place thyme, parsley, and bay leaf to pan. Return chicken to pan, nestling into vegetable mixture. Stir in wine; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. (Breasts may cook more quickly. Check them after 35 minutes, and remove them when they're done; keep warm.)

3. Take bay leaf out - throw away. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Place pan over medium heat; stir in yogurt. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated (do not boil, as the yogurt may curdle). Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. I served mine with Roasted Haricot Verts and Whole Wheat Couscous.
                                           This is the Greek-style yogurt I used. You can get it at Whole Foods

Recipe Round Up - Poached Salmon with Grapefruit Basil Relish

Poached Salmon with Grapefruit Basil Relish

(I served it with Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Roasted Asparagus)

1 1/4 cups grapefruit segments ( i used ruby red & regular grapefruit)
3 tablespoons chiffonade (cut into thin strips) basil
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup orange juice

1 cup grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup white wine
6 salmon fillets

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for relish and mix well. Set aside. Combine orange juice, grapefruit juice, orange zest and white wine in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. As liquid is simmering, gently lower salmon fillets into poaching liquid with slotted spoon one at a time. Allow liquid to return to a simmer, cover and remove pan from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Check salmon for doneness and remove from liquid with slotted spoon. Serve 1 salmon fillet with 1/4 cup relish.
Serves 6.

Gotta love George....

Foreman that is.......

Here is a different kind of burger that I had planned on cooking in the wonderful, warm outdoors. Then, of course, it turned cold and rainy, so I turned to my trusty George Foreman Grill. It was perfect :) Serves 6

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds ground turkey or chicken breast
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney , pureed

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the olive oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

The leftovers are great the next day!!!

I served mine with a Fresh Corn and Basil Salad and Roasted Potatoes

Recipe Round Up - Grilled Halibut with Sauteed Snap Peas & Cherry Tomatoes

Here's another healthy and super easy recipe!!

4 halibut steaks( 1 inch thick) - I buy frozen at Schnucks

1/4 cup pine nut plus extra for garnish

2 lemon; zested and juiced

1 orange; zested and juiced

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 oz FRESH parmesan cheese - cut into chunks

2 whole garlic cloves

1 bag Sugar snap peas

1 small container cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil - divided

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound angel hair whole wheat pasta

Kosher Salt & Pepper

In a food processor, combine basil leaves, parmesan, 1 garlic clove, orange zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, and pine nuts. Mix all together. Then add 1 tablespoon oil. If mixture is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of oil at a time.

Bring your water for the pasta to a boil.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. I used my wonderful George Foreman grill!! I encourage you to get one because it is so easy and you can grill inside. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil onto halibut. Season both sides with salt & pepper. 

Put you ww pasta in the pot and cook according to the directions.

Place the halibut on the grill and cook (without moving it around) 3 minutes on each side.

While fish is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 whole garlic clove in a saute pan over medium heat. Let the garlic cook in the oil for about two minutes - just enough to flavor the oil. Remove garlic and add snap peas, cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 6-8 minutes.

While fish is resting, drain the pasta. Put it back in the pan and add the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix.

Make a small bed of pasta on each plate. Place halibut on top and spoon citrus pesto on top of the fish and garnish with pine nuts. Serve snap peas and cherry tomatoes on the side.

Amelia's Posse

Amelia loves a lot of things! But, she definitely loves her stuffed animals more than anything else! Her old crib is FULL of them. She tends to pick out a different one every week to be her main sidekick. Whoever is the "chosen" one, will get to sleep with her, go to school with her, grocery store, bathroom, EVERYWHERE!! The other night she was feeling kind of sorry for all her animals piled up on each other, so she decided (like at 9:00 pm) that some of them needed some fresh air. She was very particular about who got placed where. It was so fun to watch!

Guess who's back, back again.....

Princess Glitter is baaack!!!

She thought it was time to bring it back out after she got a new fancy nightgown from GiGi and PawPaw for Valentine's Day. And, what better to accessorize the nightgown with than rain boots, gardening gloves, her movie star sunglasses, her dog Pinky, and a Cinderella figurine!!

A+ for creativity!! 

The BEST cookies & gelato EVA!!!!!

We lucked out this weekend!! Noel  is the  GM  of Christie Cookies and Bravo Gelato

So, we were lucky enough to eat some treats in the store as well as out of their super stocked freezer!

All I can say is yum, yum, yum!! It really is the BEST! I now am hooked and hope they offer some kind of 12-step program! I am in luck that they will deliver both. Wooo Hoooo :)

Amelia LOVED it, to say the least! And, she probably has never eaten so much before!

Amelia diggin into her Chocolate Lovers Gelato Cone

Are those not the sweetest lips you have ever seen?

The girl loves a chocolate face!

WARNING - this might happen after consumption 

Water Fights 101

What a fun trip!! Amelia and I went to Nashville this weekend to visit Heather and Noel. We were both super excited about seeing them. I'm not sure what Amelia liked the best - seeing Lola(our old dog), loving on "her Heather", or playing with her new BFF - Noel. While "washing dishes", Noel and Amelia started splashing each other with the water. After a few minutes, it turned into a full-on waterfight!! SO fun! Amelia was in heaven. She got to play in the water and make a big mess - is there anything better? To say she was soaking wet at the end would be an understatement!!

Thanks Heather and Noel for everything - we had a blast!!

SpongeBob Band Aids

Our conversation :

Amelia - "mom, may I have some spongebob bandaids

Me - "sure, why not"

Amelia - "mom, can I put these on my stuffed animals?

me - "no"

Amelia - "can I put them on me"

me - "that would be fine"

(Amelia then puts them all over her legs

and then she's over in about 10 minutes)

Amelia - "mom, will you cut these off me?"

me - "just pull them off"

Amelia - " I can't!! JESUS told me that I had to cut them off"

me - "ummmm, did you say Jesus told you"

Amelia - "Yes!!! Jesus told me in a story that I HAD to cut them off with sissors!'

me - "whateva"

I love pictures

I love pictures. And, of course, love pictures of Amelia. I have them all over my house and about 15 8x10 pictures of her in my room. Borderline obsessive. I know. I have really beautiful pictures of her. Things, however, have started to change. Amelia's sweet smile has turned into a "fake" smile. Oh, and she can't take a picture without posing - which is pretty hilarious, because I think (no, I'm sure) I have pictures of myself at that age doing the same thing. Actually, it kind of scares me. Just the other day, Amelia was dressed for ballet and while looking at herself in the mirror, pulled the sleeves down so that now she had an off the shoulder leotard. Oh goodness. I have pictures of me doing the same. I always thought showing a little shoulder was fun. Here are some of the pictures lately.....

Nice hair

This is her posed smile these days

She came in to show me her "new boobs" - Christmas return labels

She thought it was hilarious - and so did we!!

I'm not really thinking these are going to make my 8x10 wall of photos. Maybe when she turns four, I'll have another acceptable one to add!!!

When will I learn?

Will I ever learn??? I was out of the den for just a couple of minutes when this happened. Amelia told me she was a tigress - roar!!! We are still trying to get all the makeup off. Again, she had to admire herself in the mirror for a few minutes before we could start the cleaning process!!!