Around Here {and some randomness}.

Here's what we've been up to and some random thoughts added in there for you.

We busted out the little pools and played in the water.

We started potty training Ethan.

Setting the timer and having him try to go every 10 minutes seems to be working the best so far. We're only on day 4, but it seems like forever. 

Why can't they just come out knowing how to do this already?

We've been eating a lot of fruit.

Jacob has always been strong, but lately he seems to have super-baby strength. 

Here's some action shots for you.

He gets so excited to climb in and then once up there he's so proud of his accomplishment.

Then he rests, for like one second.

I'm in love with this photo.

That's my grandpa in the back. 

Ethan adores him.

I love having fresh flowers in the house.

My nieces are the cutest.

This picture makes me laugh.

This one too.

This picture makes me want to cry.

When did he get so big?

I've got a busy weekend ahead of me.

I'm seeing U2 in concert tomorrow with my very good friend who will be leaving the country for 2 years. It's the last time we'll be spending quality time with one another before she leaves. I've got a mixture of emotions about the whole thing, but I know it will be a fantastic night.

And then Father's Day festivities for Sunday.

Have anything fun planned for yourself? I hope so.

Have a great and wonderful weekend!

Control.

It's been one of those days.

One where everything seems like it should go fine but then little things throw it into a tail spin.

Here's the rundown:

* Jacob woke up at 5:15, enough said.

* Ethan slept too late this morning.

(Some of you might be thinking, "How wonderful." Wrong. That usually means no nap.)

* Ethan didn't want to brush his teeth which resulted in a meltdown outside for all the neighbors to hear. Wonderful.

* I had on a cute outfit when I left the house and was going to take a picture of myself but didn't have time. As I drove the car, talking on my cell (hands-free), and eating yogurt I spilled some on my sweater, my phone and my seat.

Why on earth did I ever think eating yogurt while driving was a good idea?

And now, no cute photo.

* I dumped half the contents of my diaper bag in the middle of the Target.

* I discovered much too late that Ethan had been leaving a trail of popcorn throughout Target.

* Got charged double, three times at Target, only to find out when I got home. 

(needless to say, Target was not my friend today)

* In 5 minutes I managed to spill coffee on the front of my white shirt, break a mug and shatter a bowl.

All while Jacob tried to unload the dishwasher, fell and smacked his head on the floor. 

* Ethan did not nap.

* The cooking rice boiled over onto the newly cleaned stove and the chicken I cooked wasn't so yummy.

Most of the time when stuff like this happens I get mad, sometimes really mad, and I let it ruin my whole day. I get short with Brett and snappy with the kids. 

But not today.

I didn't let it bother me. I just laughed it off. Let it all slide off my back. 

I'm finally learning that everything doesn't have to be perfect all the time and I don't have control over the situations in front of me.

  But I do have control over my reactions.

I'm often quick to react negatively and slow to react positively.

A horrible trait that I am not proud of. 

So I'm learning and teaching myself to be the opposite.

It's hard work, but worth it, for me and my family.

Because in the end I want nothing more than to be the best I can be for these three guys.

Brett is going to hate me for putting up this photo, but it's the only recent one I've got. Love you, Babe!

I'm linking up here...

Ten on Ten: June 2011

Ten on Ten is ten photos for ten hours on the tenth of every month. 

I haven't participated in awhile and I was so glad to remember today.

6:00am, Early morning coffee run.

7:00am, Breakfast.

8:00am, Heading out.

9:00am, Estate sale find.

10:00am, Waiting for the street sweeper.

11:00am, Playing.

12:00pm, Worn out shoes.

1:00pm, The mess.

2:00pm, Birthday gift shopping.

3:00pm, Learning to use a sippy cup.

I hope you've had a wonderful day.
To check out more Ten on Ten entries click here.

Now I'm off to bed. I've been up since about 4:30ish and I'm more than tired. 

Goodnight.

I'm Spicing Things Up: Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce.

I love cooking dinner. 

I don't love cooking dinner while the kids are awake. 

Ethan always wants to help, which is good sometimes, and Jacob usually is right at my feet.

So when I find a recipe that is tasty, simple and can be put in the fridge, I'm all over it.

I found this recipe over at Our Best Bites, just click here and it can be yours too.

I was a little hesitant to make this at first because cream sauces are not always my friend, but this one was not overly rich. Perfect.

And if you are a lemon fan, like me, you'll enjoy for sure.

Here's what you need.

Pretty basic stuff.

The recipe calls for real bacon but I used turkey bacon. 

First, we already had it, and second, it's better for you.

If you choose to use turkey bacon I suggest that you add a little olive oil to the pan while cooking it.

That way you get the "bacon drippings" the recipe calls for.

I didn't have 2 Tablespoons and it tasted just fine. 

Tortellini Boiling and Sauce Simmering.

My sauce didn't get real thick, probably because I used 1% milk, but it was still great.

Right before the oven.

Ready to eat.

I had to cook it a little longer than the recipe suggested probably due to being in the fridge, but it didn't get crispy at all. 

It was really, really good. And you don't need a lot of it to fill you up.

We had some garlic sourdough bread and salad on the side. 

Yum!

Make this today. Really you'll love it.

Ikea & Pyrex.

I love Ikea.

I don't go there often enough but every time I do I'm so happy with the deals I find there.

I went this weekend to buy a kid's table and chairs for outside. 

I wasn't happy with the ones at Toys R Us and the Pottery Barn ones are awesome but ridiculously priced.

So Ikea I went.

Here's what I found...

It's plastic, it's durable, and the colors are nice and bright. 

Perfect.

Of course I didn't just shop the kids section, I had to make my way through the whole store.

Which then led me to wanting a total remodel of our kitchen. 

On second thought maybe I shouldn't have gone through the entire store, but I'm glad I did because I couldn't pass up some great deals.

 Storage Tins: $2.99 (for all 3!)

I have no idea what I'm going to use them for, but I love the design and colors, so I couldn't leave them behind.

Ice Cream Sand Toys: $2.99

Mango Scented Candle: $1.99

Seriously, I can't pass up a toy that makes dessert, plus we need new sand toys.

And this candle makes me want to lay in hammock on a tropical beach.

I can dream.

Planter: $1.99

I needed a new pot for my plant and this was just the right size.

And for that cheap price I had to get it. 

I also got some practical stuff for the house but nothing fancy and fun to show.

Bottom line, go to Ikea and get yourself some fun stuff on the cheap.

**************************

I have an obsession with bowls. 

New, old, expensive, cheap. 

You name it, I love them.

Ask my husband, our cupboards are full of them. 

What I don't have is the primary colored set of Pyrex mixing bowls...until now.

My sister found a set at a garage sale this weekend and bought them for me.

Do you see that price tag? Only 30 bucks!

I saw the same set, in just about the same condition a few days ago for $55.

Not too bad.

I'm super excited to add these to my growing collection.

Now, if only I could figure out where to put them. 

Slowing Down.

Tonight I had no plans for dinner. 

I'm usually prepared but I didn't want to make what I had planned, so Brett and I thought we'd just order out.

I got to thinking about the money we would spend and I quickly didn't want take out.

I searched through the pantry and fridge and decided we'd make some burritos...grilled chicken, black beans, rice, cheese, avocado, and salsa. Yum!

I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of one of them (yes I had two), but you'd just be drooling right now, so I actually did you a favor.

Anyway, Ethan really wanted to eat outside at his new table I purchased today, so we headed out back.

We eat outside a lot, nothing new here.

Brett pulled Jacob's highchair outside and I got the boys their plates of food ready, again nothing out of the ordinary. 

I gave Ethan his plate, Brett started giving Jacob some of his food and I sat down to eat my dinner.

I looked over at Jacob shoveling food in his mouth and then it hit me...Jacob's not a little baby anymore. 

He's sitting in his big highchair, feeding himself little bits of cheese and black beans and avocado. 

When did this happen? 

Where have nine months gone?

When and how did my little baby turn into this little guy?

Time is flying by so quickly and I often forget to stop and take it in.

I forget to look around me, snap a photo, say thank you to God, and remember.

I need to more often because time is moving and I have no way of stopping it.

I need to slow down.

I'm so glad we didn't get take out tonight.

We probably would not have eaten outside, my littlest would not have been a huge mess, and I would have missed another moment that I would never get back.

I'm linking up here...