The wind has taken you. You're free finally at peace.

Like any new mom, I often find myself thinking ahead to life's big events, and imagine how they will turn out for Addison. Lately all I've been thinking of is school. Two years from now, will she be ready? Will she be confident in knowing her shapes, colours, and alphabet? Will she hold my hand in trepidation, unsure of what's to come? Will she run through the door, barely saying goodbye? Will she make friends easily? Will she love her teacher like I loved mine?

My kindergarten teacher helped shape my life. I was ready for school, excited for something new, and even requested homework. Mrs. C saw that in me, and encouraged my love of learning. She gave all of her students one-on-one time and was able to find that difficult balance between teaching the fundamentals, and having fun. She made every student feel like they were the only one in the room. She was always smiling and never lost her cool. You'd never know that behind closed doors she was a struggling single mom of four, just starting her new career.

She encouraged us to ask questions and talk about our families and friends. We shared stories of our weekend outings and brought our newest toys in to show off in Show and Tell. She got to know and love each and every one of us. My parents loved her in return, as did I. They immediately saw the impact she had on her students. She brought introverted young ones out of their shell and showed us the importance of school. Being smart and loving school was not a bad thing. She set us on the right track for grade one and onward.

Though she and my parents had kept in touch for years, they had lost touch recently. When we ran into her at the grocery store this Summer, she recognized us all instantly. She met my daughter and started rhyming off silly stories from back when I was young. It was so good to see her smiling and in good spirits, but I was not ready for her to tell us she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung Cancer. She never smoked a day in her life, and lived a healthy, active lifestyle.

Mrs. C. passed away on September 10 at 61 years old. Goodbye, my friend. We'll never forget you.

23 MONTHS!

I'm an awful blogger. I should have kept up with these. Bad mommy!


Weight: Still under 25 lbs. I'll wait and see what her two year appointment reveals at the end of next month.
Length: See above
Recent milestones/new things:
New words: She has many single words but still isn't often using two words together to form proper sentences. I'm not afraid that she's delayed, but I know this is expected by two years old. There should be an explosion any day now. Some new words include boy, and knee.
Favourite toy: Books, cars, dolls ("baby")
Sleep: 7-6
Diapers: Still comfortably in Pampers Baby Dry (4)
Food: She has always tried new foods and eaten just about everything, but never in big portions. Over the last few months we've noticed her preferences and dislikes. She's been eating a bit less than before, but she's doing alright. Her favourite food is still any form of meat. She loves steak and potatoes, and crockpot pork chops. Scrambled eggs and bacon is a big hit as well. Lately she hasn't been eating broccoli (an old favourite). Her milk intake has quadrupled this Summer.
 

Shopping skillz

I rarely go shopping, and when I do, it's not often for myself. This weekend, however, I couldn't pass up the local P&G sale for the United Way. $2 entry gets you amazing products for at least half-off the retail price. When I left there with my arms full, I headed to the mall for a few odds and ends.

In total, I got six bottles of Pantene shampoo, one Herbal Essences Shampoo, one Herbal Essences conditioner, three bottles of Aussie hair spray, eight Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, a bottle of Mr. Clean multipurpose cleaner, two Oral B Pulsar toothbrushes, two Gillette deodorants, one Crest Pro-Health tooth paste, one Gillette Series shave gel, three boxes of Always pads, two boxes of Nutrigrain bars, ten 2-packs of AAA batteries, one box of Bounce dryer sheets, the first two seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Isaac's birthday gift), two tank tops for Addison, a baby doll stroller (Addison's birthday gift), Fifteen Animals (Addison's birthday gift), and Happy Hippo, Angry Duck (Addison's Christmas gift).

Total spent: $106.00
 

The leaves, they are a-changin

It might still be 30+ degrees during the day, but the nights are starting to cool down, and the leaves are already changing colours. With this comes a great deal of raking, and the non-stop fun that is leaf piles! A. had so much fun helping clean up and running through the yellow, brown, and red leaves.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Anyone who knows my cooking and eating habits prior to 2005 probably won't believe that I made this, never mind enjoyed it!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Servings: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ease of difficulty: Easy
Variations: I prefer ricotta and had it on hand so I used that instead of cottage cheese. I've also heard it's great with cream cheese.
Source: Pioneer Woman

1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble*, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until all cheese is melted.

* I choose to combine everything (rather than layer)
 

Introducing...

My girlfriend had her baby! Aubrie made an early appearance August 31. Please excuse the awful photography. Here she is at seven days old. She and mama are doing well. I can't wait for the girls to grow up together. We're so excited for our friends Megan and Brandon. She's beautiful.

Even before they met, Addison was excited to say her new friend's name:

Addison (22 mos) and Aubrie (7 days)

Pick your battles

A. didn't sleep well lastnight. She wouldn't nap this afternoon and hasn't eaten all day. She's been whining and not using her words to tell me what she wants. She's currently enjoying mama's Dill Pickle chips for dinner.

Cheesy potato fries

The sauce adds a great kick of flavour!

Cheesy potato fries


Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Ease of difficulty: Easy
Variations: Different potatoes and cheeses. Onions. I used real bacon instead of bacon bits. Imagine the possibilities!
Source: Ohsodelicioso

4-6 potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup bacon bits
1/4 cup green onions

Cut potatoes into wedges. Place on foiled baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until fork tender.

In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, ranch dressing, and milk. On a separate platter, smooth out 3/4 of the sauce. Place hot potatoes on the sauce. Drizzle remaining sour cream mixture on potatoes. Sprinkle toppings. Place under broiler for a few seconds to melt cheese.