Beach Trip 2012

Oh my I think this was the best beach trip year to date!  We (Our Family, Bama, Pawpaw, Matt, Jake, and Kaitlyn) went to Carolina beach July 14 and stayed for a week.  We've never stayed that long and I thought for sure it would be long enough.  Unfortunately it wasn't.  I think it was because we had so much fun!  The first day we didnt get in until 3:00.  We unpacked then ate dinner that Bama brought along with her and took a short trip to the beach then to the pool.  At first Camdyn Cate didn't really like the beach, she was really afraid of the water and didnt want to get very close to it.  I pretty much ignored her and held her while I went in to my waist and a little lower for a little bit.  After the first and second day she loved the beach.  Both kids loved the sand and eventually Camdyn liked the water as well.  Once on her own she would go close the the water's edge or wherever the waves got to on the surf and then she would run back...she was very smart in that she wanted someone with her if she was to reach the surf!  Cash on the other hand wasn't as scared.  On the second night we had been on the beach for about an hour.  Everyone was out of the water and my brother Matt went running to the surf.  Well Cash followed him trying to fill his bucket up with water for our sandcastle.  My dad yelled at Matt to let him know Cash was following well as soon as Matt turned around Cash stopped.  We all thought Matt had Cash and turned our heads.  Well once Matt realized Cash had stopped he went on into the surf.  We after Cash saw Matt keep going he decided to go in after him.  I saw Cash hit the water and then fall down and I started running then I saw him be completely covered in a wave right before I got to him and I fell into the surf and scooped him up!  I thought for sure the wave that covered him would take him out into the ocean and I would never see my baby boy again!  Thank God I got to him in time and of course Pawpaw was right beside me.  Cash man was really shaken up but after some TLC from Momma he ended up going back in the water right after that.  He kept his distance from the ocean the next few days knowing that he couldnt go in unless a grown up was with him.  You mothers out there know how scared I was and how thankful I was that my son was safe...how many lives do mother's have?  Hopefully more than one because I definitely used one at that moment. 

The next few days we usually woke up around 8 or 9 then went to the beach then to the pool then we would come in for naps (Daddy and the kids, maybe a few others) after that we would eat dinner in the room or go out.  Bama cooked the first night then we had pizza the second night.  We also took a trip to Dicks and Walmart to get some supplies.  We went out to eat at Michaels and we also ate at Gulfstream restaurant the last night but we got it to go so that we could finish packing.  We went to the boardwalk the third night and let Cash ride some of the rides.  Camdyn Cate rode some rides too and I am the proud mother of two "Dare Devil" children.  Good thing I like adventures too.  Daddy not so much!  Haha.  Then on wednesday I decided we should go get some ice cream at Krazy Kones and our banana split was delish!  We had a very upset child on our hands (Cash) because we weren't riding rides that night but planned on coming back the next night.  We also indulged in some Britt's donuts and if you can believe it I had forgotten how good they were!  So thursday we went to the boardwalk and rodes tons of rides and watched the awesome fireworks!  Our time was almost over so once we put the kids to bed Todd and I met my brother's and Kaitlyn at the Shuckin' Shack for a couple of drinks and great food.  The drinks, food, and company were wonderful and we had a lot of fun.  On friday we went to the beach and pool again and got dinner to go.  I think Cash knew we were leaving the next day so he wanted to hit up the beach and pool again.  Thank goodness for uncles and (almost) aunts Jake and Kaitlyn took Cash to the beach and then to the pool while I cleaned the condo a little then we met up with them later and had to force Cash back to the room and to bed.  Needless to say he didnt go to bed until late and even then he woke up a couple of hours later and gave us all a hard time trying to put him to bed again! 

Overall it was a great trip...one to be remembered forever!

Cash Man finally speaks!

Finally after waiting over a year my little boy speaks.  Unfortunately one if the first things he mimicked was "oh shit" from me one evening of watching Americas funniest home videos.  From then on he's been saying colors numbers and other random words not in his vocabulary until now.  He also mimicks all the TV shows he watches...including the fresh beat band and bubble guppies!  He loves to dance around the house and hopefully Todd won't mind me putting Cash in dance classes with his baby sister next year!  I've taught him shuffles and stomps from tap, but he can mimick just about anything he sees!  He and baby sister can do a plie when I ask them to.  It us very cute...for those of you that don't know what a plie is it is a bend of the nite.  Thats all I have to share right now but I'm sure I will remember something later to add.

Healthy Chicken Parmesan!

1 lb chicken breast sliced thinly
1/2-1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 egg
6 Roma tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon cilantro
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese

Beat egg with a little bit of water set aside.  In a plastic zip bag mix Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese.  Dredge chicken in egg mixture then cheese mixture and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with canola oil.  Bake at 400°for 20-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Mix tomatoes cilantro oil and salt and pepper to your taste.  You can also add a little bit of packaged marinara sauce to add a little more flavor. Remove chicken from oven and top each chicken breast with tomato mixture then mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with more veggies or a big healthy salad!

Healthy Cheesy Chicken Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup finely minced carrots (I micro zested them)
1 small onion finely minced
Handful of fresh spinach finely minced
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons skim or 2% milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients except chicken or turkey together until well combined.  Add in ground meat and mix with hands.  Shape into balls or patties and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with canola oil or olive oil. 

Topping
1 tablespoon light mayo (I prefer dukes)
1/4 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Put mayo in the corner of a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off (make sure its tiny)
Squirt a small amount of mayo on each meatball or patty.  Mix cheeses together and put a small amount on each meatball.  (depending how healthy you want your meatballs will determine how much of the topping you put on each meatball)

Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are done.

Enjoy!

Cash and Camdyn 5/20/2012

Camdyn likes to throw rocks.  Cash loves to push his toys around like his dump truck and his bubble blower.  Camdyn pulls up her shirt and shows her belly.  She also knows where her head, tongue, hair, ears and nose are.  She can also touch her toes and feet when asked to. When you ask her where her nose is she sniffs and scrunches her face so her nose sticks out.  We went to eat last night at longhorn then we went to the bounce houses in the mall.  The kids had so much fun and so did the big kids, Matt Jake Bama Paw Paw and Kaitlyn went too.  We all played in the bounce houses with the kids and by ourselves.  We will definitely go back soon.  We are playing outside today because it is beautiful.  The kids have already been swinging on their swing set.  Cash has been pushing his toys around while Camdyn follows him around.  Cash also likes to fill his tractor bucket up with dirt, mulch, sand, and rocks then dump them all over the yard.  Camdyn loves to slide she can even get herself going on her own.  I just have to guide her so she doesn't fall off.  Both kids like to play in the sand box even though there isn't much sand left since Cash likes to dump it everywhere. 

School

I did an assignment this week with dance I using the poem I Am Me by Virginia Satir. This poem is about understanding that you control your feelings and thoughts and no one else does.  No one can provoke you into fighting or doing something you don't want to do.  I always have headstrong freshmen in dance I so this is a great assignment for them.  I had a few students really upset me with the assignment.  After students read the poem I told them to journal about a time when they disappointed their family or themselves.  Then they were expected to choreograph a three 8 count dance using some specific dance terminology in their dances. It wasn't so much their dances but their written journal that upset me.  Some students wrote about their struggles with cutting or other types of destruction.  Others just wrote that their parents are always dissapointed in them...they have never felt as though they did some thing their family was proud of.  These realizations upset me as a parent and a teacher.  I hope that I remember to let my children know everyday how much I love them and that I'm proud of them.

New diet day 4

Ive done pretty well so far this week.  I've completely cut out starches like rice and potatoes.  I've also stopped snacking on chips and bad for me snacks.  According to the scale today around 4 I've lost about 4-5 pounds this week.  I did cheat once or twice throughout the week.  I already had the supplies to make hamburgers so I had to make those this week.  But I was good and only ate veggies with it.  I also weNT to a dinner and had to eat fried chicken, but I pulled to skin off and only had green beans with it.  I did jave a piece of pecan pie too.  It was too good to resist.  Hopefully I can keep up the good work on this diet.  At least enough too lose my goal of 50 lbs.  I did get my book in the mail this week.  Very informative and you definitely need it to do your very best on this diet.  Will update again in a couple of dayson my progress.