The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

Concepts Learned :: Colors (blue, yellow, black), Shapes (rectangles, circles), methods of transportation, fine motor skill application (glue on the popsicle stick, placement of shapes on construction paper)

This week we have been learning about various modes of transportation! Not only did we make a bus made of rectangles, we also sang "The Wheels on the Bus" and reviewed colors, shapes, read fun transportation stories, and created our own "roads" in the block center for our cars to drive on. Materials for this activity include...

1 standard size sheet of blue construction paper
1 large, yellow rectangle from construction paper
1 small, yellow rectangle from construction paper
2 medium sized black circles to create "wheels"
Elmer's School Glue
1 small, paper cup
1 popsicle stick

I allowed the children to spread glue on the yellow rectangles and black circles using a popsicle stick dipped in a small Dixie cup with Elmer's glue inside. Much easier than having to squeeze a glue bottle! You can also use glue sticks for this project, obviously.

The end result was pretty cute!

"Kinda Sorta Homemade" Taco Hamburger Helper

INGREDIENTS

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 pound of ground beef
1 can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 package of taco mix
2 cups of elbow noodles, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

Sauté all vegetables with butter in a medium saucepan until wilted. Add ground beef, stirring frequently until browned. Drain, return to saucepan, and add taco mix, cheddar cheese soup, and milk while on medium heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn heat to simmer.

Cook elbow noodles in a separate saucepan. When the noodles are soft, drain and add to the beef mixture, stirring thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Giving Thanks

As Thanksgiving comes to a close, I've been reflecting on everything in my life that I have to be thankful for. I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am thankful for the clothes I wear and our overall good health despite the problems my husband and son have had this year. It is through these things that I realize how truly rich and fortunate we are. No, we don't live in a million dollar home. Yes, we have to pinch pennies and cut corners financially. But despite these "first world problems," we have truly been blessed. I am especially thankful for the wonderful husband I've been given who stands by my side through thick and thin and my precious little boy who brings so much joy to my life.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We feasted on ham, turkey, broccoli casserole, dirty rice, rolls, salad, and potato salad, and it was delicious! Holiday food is the ultimate comfort food. It also helps that we had amazing families to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with - on Thanksgiving day and this past weekend  spending time with the in-laws.

I managed to snap some pictures of my little man on Thanksgiving day! I hope you all had a wonderful day with your families as well!

Jambalaya (Crockpot OR Stove Top)

INGREDIENTS

28 oz can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can tomato paste (small)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (Tony Cacheres or Slap Ya Mama)
Hot sauce (Tabasco or any other brand) to taste
1 package of sausage
1 small package of shrimp
3-4 frozen boneless chicken breasts
2 cups rice, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except rice and set crock pot to cook for 6 hours (lower or higher settings are fine too). When finished, shred the chicken. Cook rice separately... You can either mix the cooked rice with the finished jambalaya or serve over the rice.


If you prefer cooking on the stove top, begin by baking the chicken breasts in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour (if frozen) or 30 minutes (if thawed). Make sure the juices run clear then shred the chicken breasts. Combine shredded chicken breasts, onion, celery stalk, shrimp, and sausage in a dutch oven or stockpot. Add a dash of cooking oil (I prefer olive oil) and saute until the vegetables are wilted. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the rice is cooked. You can either mix the cooked rice with the finished Jambalaya or serve over the rice.

Side Suggestions :: Jambalaya tastes really good with a side of corn muffins and fried okra!

Enjoy!

Love the Holidays!

The holidays are officially upon us! I love everything about it... the hustle and bustle, Christmas music, the weather, and the atmosphere in the air! I am officially off of work and school for the holidays and couldn't be happier. I have already baked two pumpkin pies, cupcakes, and completed 95% of my Christmas shopping list. I cannot wait for the local radio station to begin playing Christmas music! Maybe we will even get some snow this year :)

My poor little Gunner is recovering from a long period of being sick. He developed strep throat over a month ago, and we just couldn't beat it down even though we used four different antibiotics! While on the final antibiotic he contracted a stomach virus so it was tough trying to keep down the antibiotics along with fever reducer and liquids. Yesterday, Gunner had a follow up doctor appointment with a new set of problems: a weird, dry rash on his stomach and upper arms as well as loose stools. I was worried the strep hadn't completely gone away, but the strep test was negative, the rash was diagnosed as eczema, and the loose stools were attributed to teething. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for as my little boy is now running around like a maniac and obviously feeling much better.

This evening we are driving to Broaddus, Texas to visit my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws. I know they are excited to see Gunner, especially since we weren't able to visit the weekend before Halloween because he had strep throat. I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet that comes along with our visit to Texas. There's something to be said about occasionally not being at home where you feel you have to be cleaning, cooking, or doing something at all times!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday Favorite Things!

My Thursday Favorite Things!

For my Thursday Favorite Things (graciously hosted by Katherine's Corner) I have chosen to talk about a most favorite hobby of mine. I absolutely LOVE to Belly Dance! Everything from the music, the choreography, the costumes, the performing... I could go on and on! I started Belly Dancing 9 months ago with Ameelah's Belly Dance Studio when I decided I desperately needed a hobby - My home, work, and social life (or lack thereof) was totally stressing me out. Having just had a baby, and practically becoming a shut-in, my self-confidence had taken a pretty big hit as well. I've taken dance as a child and in high-school/college - ballet, jazz, and lyrical - but nothing satisfied my desire for the unique, creative, and versatile styling that Belly Dance offers! Not to mention, it is a great workout! The teachers are wonderful and extremely talented, and it has given me a goal to work towards - also something that I have desperately needed. And so it came to be that there has been no greater outlet for me than Belly Dancing - It is the best thing that I have ever done for myself, and I encourage ALL women to become actively involved in a hobby, be it sewing, cooking, dancing, making bows, karate, pottery, cycling... just anything! I am living proof that just because you've had a child or simply because you've become an adult, you can still have fun! Don't ever lose yourself in the monotony of every day life!

My Birth Story

"Okay... So I've updated my layout and changed a few things on my site... What the heck do I blog about now?" These were just a few of the thoughts running through my head over the past few hours as I've struggled with the subject of what will eventually be this blog post. Then it dawned on me. I never shared my birth story.

So here we go!

When I worked for Hertz Rent-A-Car, several co-workers and I made a betting pool on what day would be Gunner's birthday. Some said way before the 40 week mark because I was so huge... Others said a week or  two after my due date because the first child is always late. Little did I know he would decide to come on his due date - February 16, 2011. It's funny to me that I'm writing that HE would decide to come on his due date because at my final doctor's appointment on February 15th, the Doctor penciled me in to arrive at 4 a.m. the next morning to be induced because of my blood pressure. I was NOT happy that I was going to be induced. I wanted him to come on his own. Anyways, after finding out I would be holding my little man within the next two days, I was instantly overwhelmed with the thought of the delivery and being a mother. I called Eric, told him the news, and we rushed to my mom's work where I sat bawling my eyes out. I couldn't believe after 9 months of either feeling sick or being extremely uncomfortable, this was about to happen. Saying that I was scared to death would be an understatement. I was petrified of the delivery, I was afraid of the induction, I was afraid of the catheter, I was afraid of the contractions... What if there are any complications? What if I hemorrhage? What if something is wrong with Gunner?

I think the appointment earlier that day set things into motion - I lost my mucus plug within 2 hours. After a series of other... um... lets just call them "events" I realized that this could be it! That evening Eric and I visited my parents. It was 7:00 p.m., we had just eaten supper and were sitting down watching television when I felt fluid trickling down my pants leg. I remember running down the hall screaming, "Oh my God! I think my water broke!" and freaking out because it was tinged with blood. I cleaned myself up as best as I could and left immediately for the hospital (thank goodness I had put the hospital bags in the car earlier that day). Upon our arrival, they put us in a nice little room, hooked me up to an IV, and started the routine dilation checks - I was only a fingertip dilated. I felt pretty pleased with myself at that point because I wasn't hurting too badly. Nothing more than a few stomach cramps, so we waited. I was so anxious I literally couldn't sleep. I started having more pain around 3 a.m., like "wake Eric up every 5 minutes while clenching his hand" pain. At 4:30 a.m., I was still only dilated one fingertip despite the pain, so they started the Pitocin drip. And that's when the real fun began...

No labor and delivery class could ever prepare me for what would happen next. About an hour later, the contractions started in my back before spreading to the front. That was the most awful pain I've ever felt in my life... And I was having them back to back! The nurses kept asking me if I was ready for the epidural, but i said no. I was clawing the sheets on the bed, squeezing any human arm that came near my person, screaming, and crying. I wanted to die of embarrassment because I graduated from Louisiana College with 3 of the nurses who were witness to my insanity. My Doctor also came in during this most painful time to break what was left of my water - it had only partially broken. At 8:45 a.m. I was checked for dilation again, but had only made it to a 3, so they increased the Pitocin again. My mom finally persuaded me to get the epidural, and it is the best thing I've ever done! I was able to get some sleep and visit with family for a while. They kept having to increase the Pitocin which led to more medicine pumped through the epidural so for the last several hours, I was a giggly, foggy mess. Finally the nurse said it was almost time. We needed to get the Doctor as soon as possible. The nurses propped my legs up and told me to push with each contraction. It took 5 pushes to get Gunner's head where they wanted it to be, and when the Doctor arrived, it took only one push to deliver him. I faintly remember Gunner being placed on my chest as the Doctor stitched me up... It was love at first sight. This baby was mine... all mine, and I couldn't wait to share my life with him! This is one of the most memorable days of my life, and I'm surprised I remember as much about it as I do because I spent most of it groggy from the epidural! I love looking at Gunner's newborn pictures because I relive this day every time I see them. I still look at Gunner, and I can't believe that Eric and I created something so wonderful!

♥

Nostalgia

Where does the time go? I feel like it was only yesterday I brought Gunner home from the hospital. He is growing so fast and has become such a sweet little person. I miss being able to sit and hold him like I used to. He is too busy now for that sort of thing! I was browsing through my iPod photo gallery and came across random pictures I've taken since the day be was born! I downloaded a picture editing app on my iPod called Camera + and tweaked a few pictures of him. A lot of them turned out great! Here are a few:

The Mommy Wars

Ever since I had Gunner, I noticed that there is this "Mommy War," waged between women. I was reminded of this as I nonchalantly browsed through Facebook and happened upon a Babycenter status post informing fellow mommies about the Gerber formula recall, which by the way is an involuntary recall - apparently the tub of formula is giving an  "off" odor. I, being a glutton for reading (but not participating in) internet drama just had to check it out because this happens every single time formula is mentioned. The women who strictly breastfeed are making remarks along the lines of, "See? That's why I breastfeed! Breast milk has never been recalled," and the formula feeders are getting on the defensive as to why they don't breastfeed and highlight every single problem they ever had while breastfeeding. I was appalled at how both sides were treating one other. Some of the breast feeders were calling out formula feeders for not trying hard enough, not to mention the thousands of times "formula feeding cannot even compare to breast feeding" was mentioned. I find this amusing because most formula feeders DO realize that "breast is best." I actually saw a post saying, "Instead of making excuses as to why you failed at breastfeeding, why don't you support us who do?" And then cue the formula feeders calling the breast feeders "breastfeeding Nazis" and so on and so forth.

Why can't we all just get along? I theorize that both groups of women are doing this because they are seeking validation - Validation that they are doing the best they can for their children. And guess what? They ALL are! Breast feeders want a pat on the back for the sacrifice they are making for their children. Yes, it is a sacrifice. Monitoring every single thing that enters your mouth, breastfeeding in public which is actually frowned upon by some ignorant folks, shutting yourself in a room to either pump or feed your child if company is present, not to mention the possibility of pain, and the constant fear of a dwindling supply. It is hard work! I totally get it. I was one of those who did not succeed at breastfeeding, and I was totally heartbroken. This is where the formula feeders come in.

Before I became a parent, I was the perfect parent. I planned on strictly breastfeeding - formula feeding was NOT an option. It was actually to the point I was pretty snotty about it. I planned on making all of Gunner's baby food, cloth diapering 24/7, reading one book per day, teaching Gunner sign language, NO daycare, you name it, I had my plan set it stone. Now that Gunner is here, the only thing I do now is the cloth diapering. I would even consider it "semi" cloth-diapering because when we travel, I prefer to use disposable. I try to read to Gunner, but he doesn't sit still enough to listen to the entire story, so I probably read him one page of a story per day. Every two days or more if he is being fussy.

Being a mom has definitely humbled me, particularly in the area of breast feeding. I expected it to come naturally to me; hell, I'm a woman! That's what these suckers were designed to do! After 3 weeks of pain, bleeding, and crying (both me AND Gunner) until 5 am, I decided to pump. I pumped for 3 months, but my supply got worse and worse. I eventually switched to formula completely, and unfortunately I'm still ridden by guilt today. So what do the formula feeders want from other women? I would say more sensitivity. We are not bad moms because we formula feed. Gunner just turned one and is now drinking cow's milk, and reading some of the awful things I read brought me back exactly one year ago to all the problems and regrets that I had when I decided to formula feed.

What is the point to this insanely long post? It doesn't matter whether you breastfeed or formula feed, use disposable diapers or cloth diapers, have a natural no-meds birth or an epidural, feed your child homemade baby food or jarred food, vaccinate or not vaccinate. Guess what? Either way, in the end your baby is having his basic needs met. As long as that baby is hugged and kissed and feels loved, why are we nit-picking with one another? Who are we to judge what another parent does? We should be supporting each other through this journey! Parenthood is hard enough! At the end of the day, I think we all deserve a pat on the back!

The Terrible Ones!

I've always heard other parents mention the "Terrible 2's" stage that their toddlers have gone through, but they somehow failed to mention the "Terrible 1's." Gunner has been having temper tantrum after temper tantrum, and he seems to have this mental checklist of things he shouldn't do and does them. Right. After. The. Other.

First he runs to the curtains in the living room and pulls on them (once it actually resulted in the curtains coming down), then he will grab Eric's computer headset and beat it on the floor, then he crawls into the kitchen and dumps out all the dog food and water, then he grabs Kleenex from the tissue box, scatters them about, and then finally tries to pull down all the decorative items on every table in the house. Repeat this over and over again, and we have a typical day in the Jordan house. He has also been pickier about his food, he only wants yogurt, bread, milk, and green beans, and he will flat out refuse his sippy cups - He throws them at me! Not to mention the constant crying and clinginess! I am really hoping this is just a phase because I may end up needing to be committed to an insane asylum! Not really, but it is pretty stressful to deal with. I'm sure the huge bump on the right side of his lower gums sure isn't helping.

And people are seriously wondering why I don't want anymore kids? I love my little Gunner to death, but sheesh!

Easy Enchiladas

- 1 package of tortillas (I end up using about 8 tortillas total)
- 1 pound of lean ground hamburger meat
- 1 10 oz can of Rotel (your choice hot or mild)
- 1 10 oz can of Enchilada sauce (whatever type you prefer)
- 1 package fiesta blend shredded cheese.

Brown hamburger meat in a skillet and drain. Add can of Rotel and mix together. Spoon meat and Rotel mixture into tortillas, roll, and place in an 8x8 inch square pan. Follow these instructions until you have a row of filled tortillas. Drizzle Enchilada sauce on the tortillas until all tortillas are mostly covered. Sprinkle with the fiesta blend shredded cheese. Place in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted, and the enchilada sauce is bubbling. Serve with a side of refried beans.

This meal is easy and DELICIOUS! One time I was so upset that my husband finished the leftovers, I had to have Enchiladas for supper again the very next evening!

Crock-Pot Chicken and Sherry

This was an impromptu recipe as I had a ton of chicken and items in the kitchen that were starting to go bad. So what do you? Mix it all together! Here is a great recipe for even the most formal of occasions!

4 or 5 boneless chicken breasts
2.5 cups of Sherry cooking wine
2 handfuls of crinkle-cut (or baby) carrots
1 yellow onion, sliced
6 red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Thyme (to taste)

Combine Sherry cooking wine and flour in crock pot and stir until combined. Add chicken breasts, carrots, onion, and potatoes. Top with salt, pepper, and thyme to taste. There is a ton of flexibility with this recipe so add or subtract whatever you like! Set crock pot to 6 hours and serve over rice or noodles.

Meh.

It's official. I am withdrawing Gunner from daycare at the recommendation of the pediatrician since he has been catching every single bug, virus, and disease under the sun. Thankfully that doesn't involve me having to quit my job entirely. I have someone substituting for me until August or September when the new school year begins. At that time I will be able to enroll Gunner since they accept one year olds. I enjoy spending time with Gunner, and I am very thankful to be in a position to be able to stay home with him a little longer, but I also have the "What in the world am I going to do for seven months?" feeling. I guess I need to start doing research to see if there are any Mother's groups in Central Louisiana. I don't want to be confined every single day like I was before!

I foresee many a trip to the zoo in my future. Luckily he will actually be able to enjoy it if we do go. It was really hard going anywhere when he was younger!

I'm off to reheat some of that Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork for supper tonight! I hope everyone has a good night!

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork = Heaven!

Over the past two weeks, I have really gotten into crock pot cooking. It's cheap if the meal involves minimal ingredients, quick, and it is oh-so-good! I stumbled across a recipe on an app called "Baby Buzz" for BBQ Pulled Pork. It involves three ingredients... Well, four if you include the hamburger buns.

1 (2 Pound) Pork Tenderloin
12 ounces of Root Beer
1 18 ounce bottle of BBQ sauce

Put pork tenderloin in the crock pot. Pour root beer over the pork tenderloin, and set the crock pot for 8 hours. At the seventh hour, shred the pork tenderloin, drain, and stir in the BBQ sauce. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

I also HIGHLY recommend putting banana peppers on the pulled pork sandwich! It was delicious!

So Disappointed!

I called ETS to schedule my Praxis II exam, and they can't get me in until January 28. That means I will have to begin the certification program this summer or fall instead of in spring like I wanted! Oh well, I guess that's how it goes! I will go ahead and take the Praxis anyways... That will be one less thing on my to-do list when summer or fall arrive. I'm still disappointed though!

Gunner has another tooth coming through. Oh boy! When I picked him up from daycare, he greeted me with a huge grin, and I could see a small, white dot poking from beneath his gums. Unfortunately it hasn't completely broken the surface so I'm sure we have some fun nights ahead of us! He has already woken up three times since going to sleep at 7:30. I hope this passes quickly so I can get my happy-go-lucky baby back!

I think I'm going to try to go to sleep now... I am praying that Gunner is out for the count!

Am I Crazy?

My life has been a blur here recently! It has consisted of flying out the door to bring Gunner to daycare, flying to work, flying to pick up Gunner after work, playing with or feeding Gunner until Eric gets home, giving Gunner a bath, and putting Gunner to bed. Then my "me" time consists of writing lesson plans for the next week (or day if I'm too lazy to plan them out a week in advance), drinking a much needed alcoholic beverage (don't judge, I usually drink just one drink), and crash so I can do it all over again in the morning. I'll be honest. I wouldn't have my life any other way... But I think I've completely lost my marbles. I'm getting my Teaching Certificate so I can teach in the public school system. This means taking one or two classes a semester; Fortunately I have a few Education classes under my belt that will transfer to our local community college. My current to-do list consists of studying for, taking, and passing the Praxis II; I took the first Praxis exam already and passed. I'm so nervous, but I know I can do it. All this piled on top of owning a event rental and design business!? Bring it on!

On another note, Gunner is on more antibiotics for possible remains of an ear infection. I just know that he is going to end up needing tubes. He has had a total of 3 ear infections so far, two of them being back-to-back. The fluid in both of his ears isn't draining like it should. Bleeehh.

Sorry I haven't been blogging as much as I should! If you would like to follow my life while you're on the go (and see adorable pictures of my little man as he grows up), follow me on the app Instagram (I know the iPhone or iPod has this app, not too sure about the droid) - username @Primadonnax