"you're nuttier than a tim horton's maple log!"

For those of you who didn't realize that was a quote from the one and only Robin Scherbatsky, shame on you!

Today has no choice but to be a great (at least until I go to work this evening) because we have a Tim Horton's reward card filled up!

October 9, 2015: YAAAASSSS. 

Free coffee and freedom of outfit expression?! It's Friday y'all! I woke up with the girls while I left Brendon to sleep in, since Thursday's I am gone from 8:45am til after midnight, and we headed off to Tim Horton's after shaking off the sleepies. Kennedy clearly won that contest and by this time she hasn't fully pulled her outfit together.

Hooray! We made it to Tim Horton's (and face it, I wasn't ready to confront McDonald's for breakfast yet) and the unveiling of her outfit commences! We took dad's truck so we didn't attempt going through the drive-thru (duelly + unfamiliar driver + curbed-in drive-thru = insurance claim) so everyone got to see Kennedy Couture in action. 99% of the time the outfit she puts on is the outfit I let her keep on (with the exception of weather and important events where she could potentially brand me a lunatic).

We've now added Frozen ear muffs and gloves along with trail grade hiking shoes? We just roll with it.

Once we got home and settled in, everyone got to have their Tim's for breakfast. Piper was happy, Kennedy's donut was gone before we got out of the parking lot, and Brendon and I put forth zero to little effort to get everyone fed and happy this morning. That's a win on all fronts. 

Then to top of our afternoon, we took a couple trips around the block on our bikes as the hot mess express before the ominous skies decided to let the rain fall. I mean, family! We took our bikes around the block as a family! It's rare that we do much on the days I work but Saturday and Sunday I am working extra and won't have much time at home. The high lasted enough for my car ride to work; but now I'm ready to leave yet I have 7 hours left of my shift. C'est la vie.

Teal Cruiser, White Helmet, Piper's Seat

Let me tell you, we never had bikes until we moved to the 'country' and they were some of the best purchases we've ever made. Kennedy is constantly wanting to get out and ride and Piper gets more enjoyment than I thought possible from her seat.

Critical Cyles Women's Beach Cruiser: When I was trying to pick out which bike I wanted I chose based on leisure. I wanted it to be clear that my bike was for stress relief and relaxation. There shall be no mountain climbed with my bike! But really, I wish now that I had gotten a bike that wasn't single speed. Any slight incline is difficult, but that could just be user function. Being in shape was something I never claimed to be.

Bern Unlimited Lenox Helmet: Let's face it. I tried picking out a helmet that was more stylish so I wouldn't mind wearing it; and ultimately I don't mind wearing it, but helmets are dorky. But if you thought there was a chance of Kennedy letting Brendon and/or I get away with riding our bikes without one.. you thought wrong.

 YEPP Mini: This baby seat has been AMAZING. I have full confidence in it's safety, she isn't tucked behind me out of my view, and in no way has it interfered with the balance of my bike. There are some baby seats that cost less but for the most part, $150 was comparable between different brands/styles.



'I can ride my bike with no handlebars.'
Leia

i'm lovin' it

Dear Blogoverse,

I am sad to report that I am climbing into bed a hangry mess. Brendon asked if I could stop at McDonald's on my way home from work because he wanted a sausage egg and cheese McGriddle with 'dual hash browns'. The loving, caring wife that I am I replied, "sure, make me do your dirty work." Secretly, I was ecstatic that he asked because now I would feel no guilt; it was his idea! 

Counting down the minutes until midnight felt like a chore and as each second ticked by slower than the last, my hangriness was starting to rear it's ugly head. Alas! Midnight people are filtering in! As calm as I could I gathered my belongings and cleared off my desk; it took everything in me not to sprint to my car. *Okay, who am I kidding; not even midnight breakfast at McDonald's would have me sprinting.

Blog! I've finally made it to the car and I'm just minutes away from biscuit-y, bacon-y, hash brown-y goodness! Pulling into the parking lot put my hanger at ease. Only for a moment because, duh, there's an eight car line. 'Luckily' they have the two order speaker set-up (does anyone actually understand the logistics of this? I am still trying to make sense of it..). First speaker: occupado. Second speaker: occupado. Oh! But wait! The truck is leaving. Wait, leaving? Not pulling up into line?

(Now it’s 1:32am and our internet has malfunctioned. Guh! My sorrows need to reach the interweb! But you can believe that I’m not trekking downstairs to restart the modem!)

October 8, 2015: Hanger level rising.

Here is where my hunt for greasy goodness comes to a halt. Waiting at the speaker. Not 1 minute, not 4 minutes, but a solid 8 minutes go by and still Happy McFrenchfry hasn’t welcomed me to McDonald’s with a kitschy phrase. What the hell?! THIS IS WHY THE TRUCK PULLED OFF, YOU FOOL! But, after 8 minutes my hanger was defeated. Not by getting yummy calories, but by getting denied yummy calories. We’ll stick to the story that I waited 8 whole minutes to get waited on because Brendon asked for this and I was not going to return home empty handed; not the story that says I’m a major chubster.

So, now it’s off to starving (okay, I use the term lightly) dreamland. A place where we can have McMuffins at almost 2am and we can actually post about it via the internet. Oh, dreamland.



Good morning, it's now 9:00am!
Leia

mid-week meal share: olive garden fettuccini alfredo

A blog post before 11:00pm?! When I have to work and I write a post in advance, it turns a phenomenon into something ordinary.

On Monday night we threw together a recipe we found quickly on Pinterest before heading to the grocery store. Are you a fan of alfredo? Yes? Well then this Olive Garden copycat recipe is for you! Truthfully I feel that Olive Garden is more 'fast food' Italian, but this recipe was an amazing at home creation!

Cost effective: yes (~$15 to feed the entire family)

Easy to concoct: yes 

Nutritious: ehh..

To pull this recipe off you will need (per the 'top secret' recipe):

½ cup (1 stick) butter

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups heavy cream

⅛ tsp ground black pepper

pinch of salt

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 12-oz box pasta

I bought a 16-oz box of angel hair pasta so I adjusted my other ingredients accordingly:

¾ cup butter

3 cloves minced garlic

3 cups heavy cream

dashes of estimated salt & pepper

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (yes, I added more than the calculated amount)

1 16-oz box angel hair pasta (also cooked mini bows tie for Pipes because angel hair noodles plus a toddler is a recipe for disaster)

October 5, 2015: Unless every hand is involved can you really cook dinner?

1. Boil water for noodles (the recipe lists this as step 3 but frankly I am more concerned about getting the sauce right, so our noodles were done well before ze alfredo).

2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium/low heat.

3. Once butter is melted, add: garlic, cream, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper and bring to a simmer (lower heat if it begins to rapidly boil).

4. Cook for 8 minutes, or until thick (our sauce sort of stayed on the thin side; most likely due to chef error).

5. Once we hit the 8 minute mark we poured the sauce into the pot of noodles after draining whereas the recipe recommends spooning the sauce onto the noodles as you serve.

And ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

I think it was a success.

But seeing as we are a household with small children there is one thing that is always bound to happen:

You guessed it.

I think you and and all members of your family (those that tolerate dairy and gluten at least) will sufficiently enjoy this one!

Currently eating leftovers.

Leia

truckin' good day

My day started off with a Chemistry exam at 9:30am. I was uncharacteristically calm about it which means 1 of 2 things: I had great comprehension of the material thus far, or I had false confidence and bombed it. I guess I'll find out in a couple of days. After I finished off the school day with some anatomy and math. *Sidenote: my math class has been horrible for me. My professor assigns homework after each class but never collects it. Also, he has no schedule for the class, so exams are randomly assigned one week prior to the test date. So: I have zero drive to come to class because the homework is never due and doesn't count against me (and it's my last class each day, so if I don't go I actually get to go home - especially tempting on days that I work at 3:30pm), but if I miss class I won't know when the tests are. GUH! Ethical dilemma, man.

But when I came home I was greeted by my wonderful family! This usually resolves my feelings about math because if I don't get a B+ or higher my score for Nursing school admissions will be lower than I am planning on which is no bueno.

October 6, 2015: As if their dad could have asked for something better.

Now after a long afternoon of playing in the beautiful Fall weather, we have cooked and consumed dinner and it's now time for duel baths and bedtime (AND THE FINAL EPISODE OF NARCOS!).

Never get snippy with the Medellin Cartel.

Leia

it's peanut butta, jelly time

Last month at Piper's one year check-up I was told that she could begin eating strawberries and peanut butter; both of which were huge no-no's when Kennedy was a baby, which was less than four years ago so I was really taken back (and per our pediatrician honey is still the main thing that is off limits).

Regardless, Piper was having one of her I-swear-you-haven't-fed-me-in-over-a-week moods even though she had eaten: macaroni and cheese, one fruit and grain bar, and 3 Timbits within one hour and frankly, we were both just ready to solve this problem and QUICK.

For quick on-the-go meals, and nights where getting a meal together seems more daunting than climbing Mt. Everest, we sometimes count on good 'old fashioned' Uncrustables. 

October 5, 2015: I was too nervous to take a moment and snap a photo of her in PB&J bliss.

So, in a fit of quickness we settled on an Uncrustable and gave peanut butter a try today! She of course enjoyed every last crumb. Anxious and sweating I made her drink some water after each little bit and making sure she was still breathing normally; it was one of the more nerve racking times of being her parent. With Kennedy I don't remember exactly when we first gave her peanut butter, but she must have been speaking (so 2 years+) so she could tell us if she started feeling funny. Piper on the other hand? She can hardly say, "Yo moms, my throat seems to be swelling and it's kiiiiinda hard to breathe. Is that a symptom of anaphylaxis, or nah?" So yeah, NERVES.

That was our afternoon and I kept nervously watching her for any type of delayed reaction to occur. I'm no expert on allergies, but is this why they want to introduce earlier? Because anyone can experience an allergic reaction at any time in their life?

Going to make sure Piper is still breathing in her crib....

Leia

i love you with half my heart

It was an easy going day in our neck of the woods. Not much to report on besides a non-stop runny nose on Piper's end and sweet, innocent conversations with Kennedy.

October 2, 2015: LONG HAIR, DON'T CARE! (Until it needs to be brushed)

Kennedy got into one of her little silly moods and told Brendon with a smirk and side-eye that she "never liked him at all." His response was, "well, if I tickle you and you don't laugh, I guess I have to believe you." Needless to say, she cracked up. Then the following conversation ensued:

Kennedy: I won't never like you, dad.

Dad: Oh Ken, thanks! So, do you love me with all your heart?

Kennedy: Nope. Just half because I love mom, too.

She can really make your day and I love her for that.

Now to finish some Chemistry homework that I luckily remembered during the last hour of the day.

October 3, 2015: After taking this picture I realized my calculator's batteries had died. Le sigh.

Do you know any jokes about sodium?

Na.

Leia

but it was supposed to be friday!

My day started off as a literal shit show.

October 2, 2015: Exhibit 1.

October 2, 2015: Exhibit 2.

Not pictured: exhibit 3 - A poopified Piper.

This is the one time I am glad that we don't let Piper 'cry it out'. We never adopted the practice because she would only scream louder the longer we left her alone. If she had been a baby we let cry it out.. I don't even want to think about how heinous her crib would have been after rolling around/getting up/plopping down in anger over and over again. So needless to say it was a huge ordeal to start off my day. 

1. Scream, "Oh shit. OH SHIT!" in your head while making wild hand gestures.

2. Quickly run and grab a towel to protect the carpet (bad mom point 1?)

3. Remove pajamas without getting poop in her mouth/nose/eyes/hair.

4. Grab the entire wipe refill pack to asses the situation.

5. Basically bathe Piper with wipes (because it's 6:00am and lets be real.. I can't even think about running an actual bath for this kid right now. Bad mom point 2?) and get her in fresh pajamas.

6. Change sheets and spot clean the mattress.

7. Get Piper back into bed and thank the powers that be that her blankie somehow remained unscathed because we would have been done for.

8. Get rid of all evidence (but take some pictures first because you want to get in the habit of blogging shit).  -- Haha, there was no way I wasn't going to go there.

But you know who happened to sleep peacefully through this entire happening? Brendon.

Can anyone else relate?

Now with the girls long in bed I'm finishing this post after being able to finally watch episode five of Narcos. If you haven't heard of, or had time to catch this one on Netflix; I highly recommend you try to fit it in at some point. It might take me three more weeks to watch the last five episodes; but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end.

Goodnight.

Leia