Grant and the Artosauras

Reason #987,982,634,923,642,934 why I love this kid!

Grant has the GREATEST IMAGINATION

Here's a video from art time. There is a dinosaur in the middle with a fish for him to eat in the bottom left, then Grant will explain the rest...

note: he has this new thing where he asks "what'd you just say" or "say what you said again" except hes not necessarily looking for the last thing you said so it gets frustrating because you cant figure out what he wants to hear, and he gets frustrated because you don't understand

also, sorry for the snotty nose, just keeping it real

Painting the Artosauras from Laura on Vimeo.

The Bowls of Super Bowl!

Super Bowl means one thing... FOOD! (what, you were thinking football or commercials, silly blog reader)

so heres the post when we share all of our favorite munchies, fun right?!? hopefully it'll be insightful because everyone can use some new inspiration when it comes to game day favorites. Here are our favorites:

Feta & Black Bean Dip- from the Monogram Chick
Serves 30 (This makes a TON of dip and can easily be reduced and still feed a small army)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 ounce) cans Shoe Peg corn, drained and rinsed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 (8 ounce) block feta cheese, crumbled

Whisk the sugar, vinegar and oil in a large bowl. Add the black beans, corn, scallions, cilantro and cheese and mix well. Chill until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.

Toffee Dip

(be warned this stuff is decadently addicting)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup toffee bits (Heath)

8oz cream cheese softened

blend all ingredients together, cover and let stand in fridge for several hours to let the toffee soften then serve with apple slices (or pretzels and graham crackers)

Collegiate Hummus

8 ounces prepared hummus
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup chopped tomato
garlic salt
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
pepper
4 ounces shredded Swiss
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
2 tablespoons chopped parsley and green onions

Combine hummus and cumin, spread on the bottom of a 9 inch pie dish.
Top with a layer of tomatoes, seasoned with garlic salt.
Add the cucumbers and sprinkle with pepper.
Add a layer of Swiss topped with olives, then sprinkle with chopped parsley & green onions

Okay, now spill... I mean, share! Comment with your family favorite dips and super bowl snacks...

Geoff: MISO Grad

This morning Geoff graduated from the Psychological Operations (now called MISO- military information support operations) course that he has been in for the past 9 months.

Not only is he a MISO grad but he's a MISO grad that got top honors! Only 2 Captains and a Staff Sargent got Commandant's List so he's pretty hot stuff~ not that that's news to us! He got at least an 80 on every graded task and a "first-time go" on all other tasks...

sorry for the clicks during the video, I was multitasking and trying to take pictures as I shot the video... note to self, it didn't work out too well

CONGRATULATIONS BABE!

(we're still waiting to hear whats next, should have a unit assignment this time next week)

The Stores

One of the things I love most about our first born is his ability to make me belly laugh daily!

Grant likes to rename stores.

McDonalds is the M store

Target is the Circle store

Chick-fil-a is the Cow store

Food Lion is the Strawberry store (stemming back from our first ever shopping trip in Fayetteville when Grant asked for Strawberries and got them)

and so on...

so today on our way home from Wal*Mart (no Grant nickname needed) I decided to swing by Zaxby's to pick up my favorite salad for dinner. So we're driving home and Grant's trying to ask me what I got him from Zaxby's. He sometimes studders when he gets really excited so he says "wh-wh-what'd you get me from the chicken store, I mean, not the cow chicken store (a.k.a chick-fili-a), the new chicken store, the cock-a-doodle-doo chicken store, yea the cock-a-doodle-do store"

in other news, Carter has croup, we have to go to the doctor in the morning...

and finally, Geoff comes home tomorrow! YAY!

Need a Laugh?

Grant and I laughed SO hard over these... he actually got to the point where he was so delirious that he would just copy what they were saying over and over and over and over again even though he didn't understand why it was funny at all but would crack himself up over it anyways. But they are hysterical if you need a good laugh on this rainy/snowy day~

Do a youtube search for "BBC walk on the wild side" to see a ton more: I think I've finally decided that this one is my favorite

Just Me & the Boys

Hi Everybody~
Just a little note to say I haven't forgotten about the blog. Geoff is out in the field and being only parent means the only "me time" is from 10pm to 5am and you better believe I'm sleeping while I can! So its just me and the boys, Grant, Carter, Ben and Jerry!

I have a blog in the works of my fav-o-rite things a la Oprah, but because I'm thinking about one of the items right now as Carter eats, I thought I'd share the love of one of my faves right now

RUN to your grocery store and get this! Ben&Jerry's Creme Brulee. TO.DIE.FOR.

the little descriptive tease on the lid says "Sweet Custard Ice Cream with a Carmelized Sugar Swirl" yep, you're welcome!

(apparently Haaden Dazs has one too, thats next on my list because the B&J's is hard to come by- only our Harris Teeter had it)

Prayers for 1-9Cav

We woke up to learn that Geoff's unit from Fort Hood was involved in an incident in Iraq on Saturday and had two KIA and one seriously WIA.

There is still a communications black-out to let all of the notifications happen so we don't know a lot of news but this is the article on the attack:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110115/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

BAGHDAD – Two U.S. troops were killed Saturday by an Iraqi soldier who apparently smuggled real bullets into a training exercise and opened fire, raising fresh concerns about insurgents worming into thenation's security forces as the Americans prepare to leave by the year's end.

A U.S. military official said the shooter was immediately killed by American soldiers who were running the morning drill at a training center on a U.S. base in the northern city of Mosul. The U.S. official said the exercise was not meant to involve live ammunition, and anIraqi army officer said the shooting appeared to have been planned.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. A U.S. statement confirmed that two soldiers were killed and a third was wounded by small-arms fire by what the military described as "an individual wearing an Iraqi army uniform."

"This incident occurred during a training event being conducted by U.S. forces as part of their advise and assist mission with Iraqi security forces," the U.S. military said in a statement.

The Americans were not identified pending notification of next of kin, and the statement provided few other details. The U.S. troops were from the 4th Brigade, 1st CavalryDivision, based at Ft. Hood, Texas.

We know the family of the wounded soldier, please keep them and the families of all the 1-9 soldiers in your prayers, its going to a rough ride...

Holy Roller!

...and on his 5 month birthday, Mister Carter figured out how to roll all 16 lbs of lovin' over!

he did it for the first time last night while I was making dinner. Geoff was working on Gonzaga work and Carter was getting 3/4ths of the way there, up on his shoulder but not all the way. Then one minute I look in and he's on his tummy! Geoff and I both had a "did he just roll over?!?" moment.

This morning he's been all about it! He's been smiling and rocking and going 3/4ths of the way and then he'll get really excited and do a full roll, the only problem is that once he gets to his tummy, he hates it!

I know every.single.mother says this but this is all going WAY TOO FAST!

I have to admit that this morning has taken me back to my Brightleaf/Spotlight high schools days and I'm walking around singing and doing Annette's choreography to...

When life is too much, roll with it, baby

Don't stop and lose your touch, oh no, baby
Hard times knocking on your door
I'll tell them you ain't there no more
Get on through it, roll with it, baby
Luck'll come and then slip away

You've gotta move, bring it back to stay

You just roll with it, baby
Come on and just roll with it, baby
You and me, roll with it, baby
Hang on and just roll with it, baby

Carter in the Big Bed!

I know the safety reasons why kids can't have a super comfy crib, but when Carter gets in our bed, looks like this and is out like a light I just wish I could give him that squshy soft comfort every night!

Grant Holiday Zinggers

Grant: "Vegetables is spanish for health foods"

I said: "You're a mess" (as in a piece of work, up to no good, etc.)

Grant: "I'm not a mess, I don't have crumbs all over me"

For Uncle Brian and PTI

Grant has a message especially for Uncle Brian (and Tony Kornheiser if you happen to be looking)

for everyone else... PTI- Pardon The Interruption is Geoff's favorite show on ESPN and the boys watch it while I fix dinner. One of the hosts {Tony, Kornheiser not Stark a la Iron Man} does this waddling penguin dance and Grant LOVES it

case in point, last night he was playing with his Christmas present magnetic easel and yelled "look, its PTI", he was so freakin' proud of himself!

Christmas Snapshots