Mo' Bye???

The little whippersnapper

I realized the other day that I have gotten pretty lazy on taking pictures. I love to have them, but to be honest, I'm typically too in the moment (read: soaked in bath water, wiping off food, or digging something out of her mouth) and too exhausted to think to grab a camera. The 4,000 pictures we have of Kaelyn the first six months of her life are proof to me that once this kid started walking it was o.v.e.r.

I was looking through my phone and found that I do in fact have a few pictures, taken in that brief window I have before my hands are flailing around like a crazy woman again.


For my memory and your pleasure...


This was last night. First Titans game of the season. The weird blur with the freaky looking arm down there is our child, right before she started in on another dance of screaming "Let's GOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Outside having breakfast, watching the birds and butterflies. Those sweet cheeks are full of the

most popular item in the White household at the moment. "Nancakes"... Four. Every morning. Or I pay the penalty.

Playing at a friend's house in the car that actually belonged to her cousin twelve years ago. Toyota, eat your heart out!

Now this was hilarious. Eating ramen, I had chopsticks, she had her fork. She noticed what I was using and pointed to them and asked, "peez, mama?"  I later found noodles flung all the way to the living room.

If I wear a dress, this is what I get. She thinks it is the funniest thing in the world. Why, I do not know, but we both crack up while she's leading me around the house.

One of these days I'll get a few more pictures of her that are actually in focus, but until then, you will find me scrubbing noodles off of the floor and being led around by my heart strings.

:)
xoxo dae

It's all a political sham!

Most of my childhood memories are tied to food.

Not to the President that was serving and leading our country at the time, nor the latest White House scandal.
I thought Reagan was cute, and I think that was the extent of my interest at the time.

We spent a lot of time at my grandparents farm, which, naturally, is where we ate a lot of food.
Really, I have a hard time remembering any memory without food. Is that a bad sign??
I like to think of it more as a comforting reality that we were always enjoying ourselves. Either that or I have food issues. Regardless. At the farm, I don't remember getting fired up over what law had just been passed, I remember that we were typically up in arms over who answered first on Wheel of Fortune or The Price Is Right, because our mouths were stuffed with piping hot nachos, or fudge or Texas Trash.

So the other day when I was feeling nostalgic, which is pretty much every day, I realized that I was craving this delicious dessert that my Granny would make for special occasions.
Which I think was any time we asked for it.
Food = Love. Again with the food issues. Great.

This dish was the perfect combination of crunch and fluff, rich yet light, and reminded me of being on the farm and our parents constantly reminding all of us kids to "stop playing in the red dirt and oil because that mess stains and we'll have to scrub your skin off!!". We never listened. We also believed in running around outside naked and my Granny believed in proper exfoliation.

I called Granny the other day and asked her to tell me how she made that "green stuff with the marshmallows", and she shared her secret with me after all these years!!!! Our political views may be a mute point, but by gosh we love sharing our recipes. I have gleaned another treasure!

I then go to the grocery store, pick up the necessary ingredients, and whip it up at home. Ben could tell by the smile on my face that I was really excited to eat dessert that night. Which is no different than any other night, but let's not get off track here.

So I then start cleaning up - which is the point where my world comes crashing down.
Surely.
This cannot be happening.
There's got to be some mistake. Either that or my grandmother is rich because she sold her secret recipe to Kraft Foods.


See this?

This is one of the ingredients in the dish of my dreams.

On the side of this box is a recipe.

It is called Watergate Salad.

And I am still coming to terms with the fact that the whole world knows and has access to this recipe that is so near and dear to my heart. I feel clueless and stupid. Shamed. A cloak was over my eyes. How could this have happened?!?!

Not that Granny ever said it was her recipe. She just never mentioned where she got it. Or maybe she didn't get it off the box. Maybe someone gave it to her, and she has no idea that it's all a sham?? The horror.

I emotionally regathered myself after this revelation, and licked my wounds by eating three servings of the stuff.

And I have no idea why it is called Watergate. There's a story, according to Google, but I haven't been able to bring myself to read it yet.


I just don't know what to believe any more.

But you should go make the dessert anyway. And then ask yourself; what do you believe??

xox dae

The Real Winner

While the rest of the world was fooled into thinking that Lauren won this year's title of America's Favorite Dancer, in our corner of the world, well, we knew the truth.

(It was dress up time at school, and I was told that they finally got it off when it had to be removed to change her diaper...  d.i.v.a. )

Watch your back, Lauren. Homegirl has got mad skillz!

Life as we know it

We're changing, folks.

Part of me is sad to see the baby stuff go, and part of me is excited to see the changes coming.

Part of me aches for the time when Kaelyn let me rock her to sleep and cuddled on my shoulder, and part of me adores the fact that we read a story, say our prayer, and after she says "Maa-men!!" (Amen!) she reaches for her bed and talks to herself in her crib until she falls asleep.

I put away the Bumbo, the Sleepy Wrap, and the burp cloths. We got out the forks, spoons, and toddler toys.

We are.....

Done.

Determined. (helllllp meeeee)

And, we have a ...

Destinantion Vacation!

So, we are dreading (sort of):

Suggestions for flying solo with a toddler, anyone?

xo dae