What's Better Than Birthday Presents ON Your Birthday...?

...Birthday presents, BEFORE YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Introducing Miss Ruby's new RIDE!



She's over the moon for it & rode it around Toys R Us like an old pro!
*grin*
Thank you to her Nannie & Nonno for putting the worlds biggest smile
on her sweet little chubby cheeked face.
Seeing that smile, was MY gift.
She's such a beautiful little girl...
...& she's growing up just a little too fast.

The Things We Do For Love...

Bear plays 'dress up' on a daily basis with miss Ruby,
most times it's clearly under duress.
I can't lie, I don't suspect he enjoys it all that much,
but I also think that he just loves her in such a way that
he'll tolerate just about ANYTHING she tries to do to him...
even if it means wearing a bucket as a hat,
being forced to wear her DOLLS keds,
& sustaining surface wounds from having his fur brushed in an all too violent,
yet loving manner.

Now THAT'S true love.

Tuesday's With Uncle Steve...

...albeit posted on a WEDNESDAY!
hehehe


It's nearly 1am and I'm just now posting to the blog about this week's Tuesday night menu...
We had a delicious soup that is an Uncle Steve recipe
& I bravely took a stab at recreating it.
Lots of work, definitely from SCRATCH, but I think it came out yummy!
& apparently so did everyone else.
General consensus around the table?
YUM!
Which is good cuz it's a FREAKIN' LABOR OF LOVE !

Here is the recipe:

Cheddar Broccoli Soup



Ingredients: (keep in mind that I doubled the recipe)



1 T butter, melted
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter (I used unsalted)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half & half
2 cups chicken stock
1 pkg frozen broccoli
1 cup shredded carrots
4 strips thick cut bacon, chopped (I used the low sodium bacon)
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Saute onion in butter, set aside.
(I finely chopped my onion with a hand chopper but you could also just hand dice it as well.)

Cook bacon and set aside as well.
Cook melted butter & flour combo using a whisk over medium heat for approx 5 min. Stir constantly and slowly add the half & half (this is called making a roux).
Add the chicken stock whisking all the time & then simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender.
(Approx 20-25 minutes)
Add salt & pepper and bacon.

*above is soup PRE blender*


The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree (if you don't have a blender you can use a hand mixer as well & mix it directly within the pot on high speed).
Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese.

*& now here's soup POST blender*

Stir until well blended & serve with hot buttermilk biscuits.

ENJOY!

Giggle Girl...

...loves to play with her Auntie Kristen!
(& it shows!)

BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT...

...EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd like to publicly thank my cousin Steve (Ruby's Uncle Steve) for surprising me this year with, what will go down in history as, THE BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER!


(that is, until he decides to perhaps one day buy me a car, till then, this one stands as such!)
So, what was this fabulous gift you're all wondering?
Ok...

See this pic? It's a pic of my hand reaching out to touch,
THE STAGE!
That's right, FRONT ROW PEOPLE!
Oh, what's that?
What stage you ask?

THIS STAGE OF COURSE!

Gee, I wonder why I was in Boston tonight... let's see,
oh, I remember!
Wait, let me back up...

For those of you who don't watch last comic standing,
WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!@#$%
For those of you who DO,
OMG GUESS WHO I LAUGHED WITH TONIGHT?
WHILE SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW?
AND GOT A HUG FROM AFTER?
AND CHATTED WITH AS WELL?
RIGHT HERE AT BOSTON'S OWN COMEDY CONNECTION?!



ONLY THE FUNNIEST COMIC THIS SEASON ON LCS:



GERRY DEE!!!!!!
Had so much fun I nearly WET MY PANTS, AGAIN!!!!!



Gerry, thanks for the most fun night EVER!


You'll always be getting my votes till you're crowned:



LAST COMIC STANDING!
*smile*



Give Ally some hugs from us, she's precious!

-Amy & Ruby Cate

"That's Gross!" (***Updated: for Cindy***)

Me: *sitting at the computer using my hot air curling brush*
What's this?
*pulling at a hair in the midst of all the black, standing out like a sore thumb!*
It can't be... a WHITE HAIR?!
*grabbing tweezers & YANKING SAID HAIR OUT WITH A FIERCENESS!*
I don't THINK so!
(said out loud to nobody in particular...)

Ruby: *giggling from across the room*
"That's Gross!"

heh

***Cindy, THIS chair was purchased at Target within the first six months of being home.
I had purchased a different one initially & HATED IT!
This one is big & sturdy & wide & takes a beating & is SO SOFT!
I'd tell you the brand name, but I have long since torn off the tag... sorry!
( I actually want one for MYSELF but don't see how that's possible!)
Hope this helps!
hehehe

*WARNING: objects in blog may appear smaller than they actually are...

(don't say I didn't warn you)


(If you don't have a weak stomach & can tolerate the triumph's of potty training a toddler,
please scroll down & enjoy today's 1st picture for SEPTEMBER!)

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YEAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
(I knew it would happen eventually,
and not only did it happen but she TOLD ME that she had to go!
I am so proud I could and DID cry this morning!
My little girl is GROWING UP!)

& most of you will note that I've enabled comments again.
Long story & now is not the time since today is a day of REJOICING OVER POOP,
but let's just say that my reasons for disabling them in the first place had
NOTHING
to do with any of my faithful readers.

So, please... comment away on this GLORIOUS DAY!
*grin*

Mmmmmmm...

...Diego Luna.



OMG HE'S SO YUMMY!






(You can see where my mind is at right now...
I should be in bed but MAN I can't stop thinking about that boy...
his shit eatin' grin, his lips, his body OMG I ADORE HIM!!!!)

Thank GAWD for LUCID DREAMING!
*evilgrin*
hehehehehehe
NIGHT'Y NIGHT!

Photo Mish-Mosh & Prayers Needed...

Ok, so here is how my daughter looked this morning as she made her daily call to my mom.

As you can see, she's already far too comfortable with a phone in her hands...
oh how the teenage years frighten me so!

Here is a nifty little number Ruby likes to call "Green Glasses"...
...she took a 'sand hourglass' magnet (aka: the timeout magnet),
and slapped it up on her referral pic on the fridge & said promptly:
"Momma! Ruby have a green glasses!!!!!"

Her imagination continues to blow me away...

And last but not least, since it is/was Tuesday night,
and Uncle Steve did come over, I'll share with you all a picture of tonight's dish.
Chicken Taco Stoup!
(and man was it DELISH!)

...so that's it for my random images tonight. Sorry that it wasn't more but it is what it is.
Also, please if any of you are compelled to believe in any sort of higher power, God etc... and believe in the power of prayer, please, PLEASE, keep both Ruby and me in your daily prayers. So much is going on right now and sadly it's just far too much to go into right now,
but let's just say that we truly truly need your prayers now more than ever,
and really, the more the better.
I thank you all in advance & pray right along side you for a happy ending to my current situation.
God bless you all.
-Amy & Ruby Cate.

Blogger ROCKS!

Ok, I have wanted to share this video with my readers for nearly two years now,
BUT because my last name was in it, I wasn't willing to put it on youtube.
(youtube being the only way I'd share videos on my blog until now)
But blogger just came out with this FANDAMNTASTIC new feature
that allows me to upload
MY OWN MOVIES
DIRECTLY ONTO MY POST!
How bitchin' is that?
So, Ruby's birthday is fast approaching & not only is it her birthday,
it's also the 2nd anniversary of my 'REFERRAL DAY'!

Only a few people have ever seen this footage of me receiving the call,
but now that I can share it here, I would like to with all of you.
Again, as with anything on my blog,
I ask that you please just enjoy it here
& not share it anywhere under any circumstances
& thank you in advance for respecting that...

...now, without further ado' I give you,
"The Call"
September 7th, 2005
(Ruby's 1st Birthday)

One Small Step For Potty Training...

...one GIANT step for STICKER CHARTS!
Have I mentioned how BEYOND PROUD I am of my girl?
Go Ruby GO!

A Very Special Day... *UPDATED*

Today, August 21st, 2007 was Ruby's FINAL step
in becoming part of our little FOREVER FAMILY!

In Massachusetts,
in order to obtain a birth certificate for your child from the town you live in,
you MUST re-adopt within said state.
All that meant to me was more paperwork,
as Ruby was my daughter the second I first saw her glorious little face
& those CHEEKS nearly two years ago.
My heart didn't need a judge or a piece of paper to tell me that she was my girl,
but it sure was nice to not only hear out loud but to also know that there will be NO MORE PAPERWORK!
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW AMAZING THAT IS TO KNOW!

Below, is a little glimpse into our special day...
(Now that I can post this directly through Blogger,
I feel comfortable allowing it to say indefinitely,
and as always, with the understanding that it only be viewed in this forum
by my readers. Thanks!)

Ruby would like to thank her Auntie Jen (soon to be God mother Jen)
for this beautiful card! It means alot to us both!

Singing...

...Ruby style!

Cheezy or Timesaver?

Ok so here's the deal, Ruby's birthday is fast approaching
& I'm doing something different this year.
Yes, I'll still send out cute invites, that hasn't changed.
Yes I'll still have a 'cupcake tower' because frankly
that's just the easiest thing on the planet to NOT do!

But this year, rather than handle dozens of phone calls from eager party goers as to the best gift ideas for my little munchkin, instead I'm going to be sending everyone an email with THIS link.

It's by no means a 'must have' wish list.
On the contrary, it's just more of a guideline for those who prefer a little guidance,
as to not.

Last year I had call after call from people wanting to know what she'd like, what her size was, what she needed etc...
...and I don't mind the calls so much but what happened was that I started taking so many of them that I forgot who I told what to!
And that is where it got messy.
I didn't want that to happen this year, thus... the WISH LIST!

Honestly I prefer to look at it as my 'sanity provider' because quite frankly, my memory was total shit BEFORE my MS, people can't honestly expect me to remember what I said to who for how many cookies after the fact, now can they?

Oh, and if you're all wondering, yes, in addition to sending everyone the link, I also intend to put in the invitations the following 411:

Ruby takes a 3T & could really use some long sleeve tops
& colored socks if you'd prefer not to go the 'toy' route.
We look forward to seeing you all Sept 8th!

So, call it people, what do you think?
Cheezy or a timesaver?
And NO you won't be hurting my feelings to say it's cheezy, I'm just curious what others think from a 'guest's' point of view, cuz I know what I think from my Momma point of view...

Thanks!

So Sweet...

...tonight just before bed, Ruby ran up to me with tears in her eyes
and said: "Momma! Where Bear? He not here, I MISS HIM!"
Turns out he was in the playroom 'playing people' the whole time.
(right where she left him I might add...)
Funny how a little bear can cause such a big heartache.

If that isn't adorable enough, the other day she announced to me:



It's moments like these that make me smile from the inside out.
Man, do I love this kid AND her Bear!

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures...

...at least that's how the saying goes, right?
Well, I've reached the end of my rope, or more to the point, the end of my pull up!
Ruby knows how to use the potty.
She's used it several times, SUCCESSFULLY I might add!
She knows that when she goes, she gets a sticker & the whole process is praised beyond praised.
Apparently to a toddler, this just doesn't make much difference to her because as long as she knows she doesn't truly HAVE to do it, she's not going to.
I'm convinced that it doesn't matter if it's a diaper OR a pull up,
basically if it's ANYTHING that will catch the urine and trap it in some way, shape or form,
the kid just isn't going to be on board because kids are savvy and they KNOW that even if they kick & scream & downright REFUSE to use the potty, the really don't have to cuz Momma keeps providing them with said pull up/diaper.
NOT ANYMORE I SAY!
My child, STARTING TODAY, went from pull ups,
to DORA UNDERWEAR FIRST,
then the pull up.
(which sounds counter productive HOWEVER, it isn't... let me explain why.)
FIRST, the underwear is just regular old 100% cotton undies.
She pees, it gets cold & wet & UNCOMFORTABLE!
The pull up OVER the undies is just my own insurance plan so that I don't end up spot treating my couch, carpet, bed... etc.

Ruby only had to experience that feeling ONCE to know she DID NOT LIKE IT!
Needless to say this little girl of mine has used the potty THREE TIMES TODAY
&
been SUCCESSFUL EVERY TIME!
Her chart is LOADED with stickers and I'm loaded with SMILES FINALLY!
So much so that I've stopped putting the dates & just started letting her put stickers wherever she wants to stick them.
Every sticker on this chart represents a successful potty experience!
(No, she's not once done a poop on the potty yet,
but let's conquer one issue at a time, shall we?)



Now, I am, however, inundated with laundry up the Dora, HOWEVER I don't care!
If it means that my child is realizing that she can't play the 'lazy' card anymore & understands that she needs to use the potty for it's intended use, THEN BRING IT ON!

We have a little two step stool that she uses to get up to the sink to brush her teeth
and it conveniently has two little pull out drawers under each step!
(Bottom step houses extra undies & pull ups,
top step houses an array of stickers for her 'potty chart' on the bathroom door!)

Please everyone, keep your fingers, toes, eyes ... etc crossed for us!

Oh, and anyone with any potty training advice on what worked for them, feel free to share.
I know it must sound ridiculous that a Nanny like me with all the years experience I have is asking for advice but honestly, I just think it's totally different when it's your own child.
I NEVER had any trouble potty training any of the kids I've cared for over the years.
Ever.
Ruby?
Man am I getting a run for my money this time!
My mom just smiles & says:
"God has a sense of humor Amy... remember, you wet the bed till you were 11, that's alot of laundry!"
Thanks Ma, that's just what I wanted to be reminded of at a time like this... good times!

NOT!

True Story...

...so Ruby & I were all snug in my bed the other morning
& as she reached over & placed her hand on my arm she said:
"Momma?"
"Yes Ruby?"
"Momma, Ruby FUNNY!"
*smiling*
"Awwww sweetie, that's true, Ruby IS FUNNY!
And what about Momma? Is Momma funny too?"
Without skipping a beat she replies:
"Nooooooooooooo"
while giggling.
I look at her, mouth open, wide eyes & ask:
"Momma's not funny? What is she?"
Clear as a bell & as sure as she's ever been about anything, she answers:
"Momma LOUD."
Truer words have never been spoken.
*grin*
Beautiful AND HONEST!
My girl rocks...
hehehehe

What Is Going On With The Bridges These Days...?

First Wisconsin
& now this...

Bridge Collapse In China Kills At Least 22...

SO sad!

Ok People, Help Me Out Please...

...in this house, we've always been 'dog people', never once owned a cat.
Needless to say, I know lots about having a dog as a member of the family.
What they love, how they like to live, their favorite pastimes... etc.
But a cat?
Nada!
The only thing I know about cats
is sadly from one of Ruby's books.
It's one of her favorites & we read it several times a day, every day.
At the end of the story,
the two cats can be found snuggled in a cardboard box
much too small for them, yet, there they are,
all snug & toasty together, happy as peas in a pod.


Yesterday, after a trip to BJ's,
(in another attempt to try to help my daughter learn to love the potty)
we bought a box of training pants.
They have the 'feel wet liners' apparently they get wet AND cold!
*fingers crossed*
Anyhoo, as I was about to disassemble the box for recycling,
Ruby screams; "No Momma! I have a box!"
Ok then, so you get the box, that's kewl.
And, this is how she's been ever since I gave it to her.
Her and Bear, snug as bugs, in a box just a wee bit too small for them,
but happy as can be.

Maybe my kid was a cat in a past life?
Cats do dig boxes, right?

Eventually Happens Every Night At 9pm...

*ladybug on one cheek, rainbow on the other*

She never napped & was going, going, going all day like a trooper.
Triplets,
mass amounts of relatives & friends,
birthday celebrations,
swimming,
face painting,
dancing,
story telling,
side walk chalking',
sandbox'ing,
tricycle riding,
Nonno grilling,
salad eating,
milk drinking,
Nemo watching,
Bear loving...

I knew she'd crash EVENTUALLY!
Sleep well baby girl, Momma loves you.