Fall Fun-Texas Style!

Is it really October? I think I am having Kentucky withdrawal! It is at least in the 80's here every day, no horse racing, no tailgating and we are still going to the swimming pool! The trees are palms not trees full of Fall color. BUT we are still having lots of Fall fun. Sidney LOVES pumpkins and get's so excited when she spots one. We have been able to get outside more since it has been cooler (maybe 75!) in the mornings. We found our Halloween costume and took our first trip to the Houston Zoo. We are looking forward to our trip home and our first Halloween here when we return.

Sidney loved the zoo!

Petting the animals was her favorite!

First week of October in Houston. Pretty but very different from KY!

Playing in the backyard. She loves bubbles!

Halloween sneak peak...not so fond of the little piggy...

GO CATS!!!

First home game today! I can't believe we are not there! Thinking of my boys in blue and wishing so badly I was at Commonwealth. I woke up this morning and had, "My Old Kentucky Home" in my head... here are some pics of a little CATS fan last year.

Sidney's 1st Birthday- 4 months late!

Sidney's birthday party was at our house in Lexington. It was so emotional because all of our friends and family came not only to celebrate Sidney but to tell us goodbye. We are so blessed by our KY friends and we miss them dearly. In spite of the rainy weather and our very crowded house, we had a blast. Such great memories. Sidney had just started her Elmo obsession so I went with the Elmo theme. I loved her dress! She had just started walking a few weeks before so it was hard to get a good picture!

Elmo dress!

My baby eating her 1st birthday cake

Sidney's fan club-our best friends

Adorable cake from Pattycakes. Not sure what I will do for cakes in Houston!

Favors-bubbles, goldfish and Elmo juice in a bucket

The stickers matched her invites and her thank you cards. I love Grey Ink! I am glad she ships to Houston and now has an Etsy store.

Banner I made of Sidney's pics from each month of her first year

Blind dates and birthday parties

This weekend we went to a birthday party for Charlotte and Carter. I met Jordan, their Mommy through JR League. We had a blind lunch date about a month ago. I know that sounds funny but we literally had never met before and had only spoken through email. I am so thankful the date went well ;) We have had fun meeting up at the Children's Museum and seeing, "The Help" kid free! I am looking forward to starting JR league together and more play dates. Charlotte turned 1 and Carter turned 3. Sidney had a great time at the party, which was at the Nature Discovery Center. She loved the bunny and of course the lemonade and cupcake! We realized it was her first time drinking lemonade. She slurped it down!

Sweet girls

Sidney moving in on more cupcake!

The girls look thrilled. This was our best attempt with both looking.

Tasty lemonade!

Happy birthday Charlotte and Carter! Thanks for having us.

15 Months

Now-15 months old!

then- August last year

My baby is so big! She is my little buddy and we have so much fun. She is more active than ever. She loves filling up her purses from anything she can find around the house. She is starting to dance and loves listening to music. She still LOVES books and has an amazing attention span when listening to them. She has taken an interest in her baby dolls but Elmo is still her fav. Her favorite food is now applesauce and grilled cheese sandwich. This month was exciting because we took her to the beach for the first time, which I will post about later.

We went to our new pediatrician for Sidney's 15 month old checkup. I wish I could tell you what the Dr said but I have no clue.I was deafened by Sidney's crying and could not focus on anything! As soon as we walked into the office she started clinging to me, grabbing my hair, holding on for dear life and screaming. It was as if she knew what was coming! She did not calm down until after the shots and blood work. I think she had worn herself out from the tantrum! Daddy was able to come at the end of the appointment and meet the Dr. She was calm by then of course. She never acts up for Daddy! We had a good report and are so thankful for a very healthy baby. She is still in the high percentile for height and low for weight. She is still only 22 pounds! Crazy for a 9 pounder at birth.

reading with Daddy

little grump

looking at her battle wounds

out cold before we pulled out of the parking lot

On a side note I get so excited to see all the Pi Phi stuff at Texas Children's. Every book in the HUGE hospital and all of the doctor's offices was donated by the Houston Alum Club and directly from links to literacy from various chapters. They have these cute little pi phi "book nooks" everywhere. I tried to take a picture of the book nook itself but I was wrestling a cranky toddler.

What's for Dinner?

I have a confession. I am addicted to the blog "Kelly's Korner."I love reading it and I especially love her "Show Us Your Life" section. I noticed that she used to have a recipe blog. I clicked on the link and found several great ideas to try. We tried this one last week and it was EASY and TASTY! Thank you Kelly and I wish you were still doing your recipe blog.

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans and New Potatoes

click here for recipe!

Back to School Idea-Gift for Teacher

I can't believe it's time for back to school already! For me this year nothing is changing, which I am very thankful for. Since Sidney has had separation anxiety lately I can't imagine having to leave her at a new place. I do plan to have more of a routine and schedule around our house though. We now have our set activities and are getting some what used to Craig's CRAZY hours. On Tuesday we have Bible Study. It's a group of mom's all with young children. Half of the time we end up just talking and it's great! Sidney goes into the Kingdom Kids Nursery and she is starting to enjoy it and play with the other kids. Wednesday we have our play group. There are about 12 girls and we take turns hosting. So far we are meeting lots of nice people! Thursday we have Song Play, which will be starting next month. It's at church also so Sidney is really starting to recognize some familiar faces. So, that leaves Monday and Friday open. Those days usually turn into pool days or play dates. So with all that business I guess that's why I can't believe it's mid August!

I saw this idea at Keeping Life Creative. Even though my little one is not in school yet, I thought this was adorable. Being a former teacher I would have really appreciated this cute gesture!

First Day of School Survival Kits

These boots are made for walking

and that's just what they'll do

and one of these days these boots are gonna

walk all over you!

All Aboard!

We took Sidney to Herman Park for her first train ride! She seemed very excited when she saw the train. Once we got on she was not sure what to think. She started pointing to trees, ducks and of course her favorite, cars! Despite it being 200 degrees she had a blast! Herman Park is right behind the Texas Medical Center aka "Dada's work." The Houston Zoo, Miller Outdoor Theater and several museums are also in the park. In true Texas style, it's huge! It has some very pretty areas. We are looking forward to going back when it cools off.

This to shall pass...

Paging my happy baby...please come back!

Sidney has been such an easy baby. Until now. I am not sure if it's from being around me and only me lately or just her age. She won't let go of my leg, panics when I leave the room, won't stop crying in the nursery at church AND acts crazy when other children even approach her. After several attempts at church I just wanted to break down and cry. I wanted to give up. I know that's not the answer. I don't know what is but I just have to keep trying. Ugh! So frustrating to see her so sad! I wish there was something I could do to make it better quick!

Paper Coterie

I am so glad I discovered this site! Right now until August 31 you get a 40.00 credit! Use the code "BEGINANYWHERE." A great way to make easy albums or gifts!

I love the swatch books....

Two years ago today I married the love of my life.

A sweet baby girl later...

and a journey to a faraway place..

I love you even more than on our wedding day! Happy 2nd anniversary. Can't wait for more memories.

More wedding pics here and the article from Southern Weddings Magazine.

What's for Dinner?

I have actually enjoyed planning my weekly menu's out ahead of time. I thought it would be tedious but it's MUCH easier than running around trying to figure out what to make at 5. Found this on All Recipes. It was delicious! So easy. Especially if you already have some chicken made. I think it would be good with onions and bacon added. Might try it next time.

Chicken Spaghetti

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 pound processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch garlic powder

Directions

1. Boil chicken in a large pot of salted water. When chicken is done, remove from pot, keeping water/broth at a boil. Shred chicken and set aside. Put spaghetti in boiling chicken broth and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. When done, drain broth.
2. Return pot with cooked spaghetti to stove, put over low heat. Add shredded chicken, soup, diced tomatoes with chile peppers and cheese. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. When cheese is melted, dinner is ready!

Buggy on a Budget

I really don't like to tell people that I am married to a Dr. I have heard comments such as, "Oh that must be nice to be rich" and "You are lucky you will never have to work again." Ha! Most of the population fails to realize that the average cost of medical school is nearly 200,000 dollars. And, when my husband is finished he will be pushing 40 and spent 15 years in training. This is the first year that I have stayed home. Our reasoning was that we felt it would be the best choice for our daughter and our family. When your husband works 13 hours a day that leaves you with the bills, laundry, cooking, cleaning, house maintenance, childcare, organizing schedules, car maintenance,going through mail and did I mention cooking and cleaning? Shew. So, I had no time to work. And,when you consider the cost of childcare in Houston my teaching salary was not that beneficial.

It is going to be a long hard road but I am determined to save money. My first goal in our family budget is the food bill. The first thing we have done is cut back (nearly cut out) eating out. It is hard but when you do eat out it's more rewarding! The second thing is to plan my meals ahead of time and spend less money each week at the grocery. I am learning that this takes serious time, effort and planning. Especially since I am not familiar with the stores in Houston. My starting point is to keep track of how much something costs at different stores. Then I will know where to go for the cheapest price on commonly bought items. To make it easier I have picked 3 stores that are closest to my house. I am also wondering what a good realistic budget is to feed a family of 3. Does any one have any ideas of a realistic food budget or other tips to save money at the grocery?

Say No to No!

After teaching preschool for 7 years I already understood the importance of not saying, "No!" Once Sidney was mobile I found myself saying it several times one day. I have since then made a conscious effort to "no saying no" at our house. It is difficult when you see your child about to make a huge mess, hurt themselves or hurt something in the house. I read somewhere that a toddler hears no about 400 times a day. Not only is it negative, but it weakens the meaning of the word. I am trying really hard to use redirection and positive reinforcement and save saying, "no" for emergencies when she is really is in danger. I found 2 helpful articles today and I thought I would share them.

18 Ways to Say No Positively

Mistakes Moms Make

14 months old!

Sidney is 14 months old today! She is so much fun and has the cutest personality. She is a very happy and active baby. She loves swimming, Elmo, music, taking walks and putting her toys in any hiding spot she can find. She can say, Dada, car, ball, dog, quack quack, mama, hi, circle and is starting to repeat more and more words. She loves to run and walk on her own. Her favorite food right now is banana. Her activities right now are going to the library and checking out books, going to music class and going to see her friends in the wobbly walkers nursery at church. We are going to say goodbye to the bedtime bottle this week... wish us luck! We are a little behind but we are ok with that since the move through us all off a bit. Her 15 month checkup is next month. I am very excited about her new pediatrician. Living near the biggest med center in the world definitely has it's perks!

Here is a picture of me and my little buddy this time last year.

Here is a picture from last week. How fast they change!
Love you baby Sidney!

Howdy from Houston!

Wow! Things have been busy at the Alexander's... we made it to Houston!

Shew. All the boxes are unpacked! I actually sat down yesterday and took a breath. My first impressions of Houston are:

1. HOT

2. Terrible bugs

3. Flat

4. Not pretty like KY

5. No KY sports here or horses :)

Ok, so those are all negative. But true. On a positive note Houston has:

1. Palm trees

2. Shopping (any store you want)

3. Mexican food

4. Great parks

5. Great museums

We have not gotten settled at all other than getting the house organized. This is mainly because we are living with 1 car. Horrible! Craig started his job last week at Texas Children's Hospital, which is the biggest pediatric hospital in the country. Wow! On his first day we dropped him off. Sidney did not want to wake up and was a grump all day. Then when he was done it was her bedtime so you can imagine how that went. I have let him take the car since then. So, we have been stuck in the house. I mean stuck. Nowhere to go and nothing to do. We can't even venture outside due to the 100 degree temps. So our first priority this weekend is to buy a car!

We have been attending a church that we really like and Sidney is going to start a music class there next week. I have signed up for the JR League transfer class and it starts in August. So I feel like we are taking baby steps to meet some people.

I love being home with her and having more time to help Craig stay organized. It's not an easy job! My goal is to post once a week. Someone make me! I will try my best.