Don't Cha wish your baby was hot like me?

This is the {best} after bath hair I have ever seen.

Soothe the Savage Beast

Here's something you don't see every day . . . Nicholas perfectly still.

Pinata Pinafore GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Pinata Pinafore GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Early Evening Gown GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Early Evening Gown GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

This is such an interesting site.  Check out the cute clothes she is G-I-V-I-N-G away!  

11 Months old

Eliana turned 11 month old this week. And rather than chase her down for some {pretty} pictures, I decided to share Eliana uncensored.





Besides getting older, Ellie has started walking. Now, she's been standing and walking around furniture for at least 3 months, but she hasn't been interested in walking at all. She would crawl around and stop in the middle of the floor and stand up for a long time. But she never even tried to take one step alone. Then, last week, we were at a friend's house and she just let go and walked. It was truly amazing! Now she walks everywhere -- and gets into everything.

My new favorite pictures

{No explanations needed . . . they speak for themselves.}

Recipe for Leslie

Pasta with Sausage and Broccolini

2 bunches broccolini, cut into bite size pieces
1 pound orecchiette pasta, or other small pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pork sausage (I use Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the broccolini in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the broccolini to a large bowl, saving the cooking water. Bring the reserved cooking water back to a boil.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally.
Add the broccolini to the pan with the sausage mixture and toss to coat with the juices.

Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.

(If you don't have broccolini in your store, you can use regular broccoli. You just have to steam it a little longer.)

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Here is where you can feel sorry for my boys and question my ability to be a fun parent. Every day my boys beg me to take them swimming at the YMCA. And I want to, I really do. Then I remember I have 4 children and one of them is Nicholas.

Now for those of you who are personally acquainted with Nicholas, that statement alone explains everything. Fearless, wild and fast are the words I would use to describe the joy that is Nicholas. So, we stay home and the boys make do with the hose in the back yard.

{This is Sam, who wants to play in the water, but avoid the hassle of getting water in his eyes.}

{This is Sam realizing he can spray himself in the face, and Benjamin who is obviously impressed by his brother's talents}

{And this is where they decide to fill up the lid to the sand box and go "swimming," but only after they beg me for the 473rd time to buy them the $400 pool at Wal-Mart.}

{This is Nicholas attacking the big boys, who are conveniently hiding behind their shield -- the basketball backboard.}

{Oddly enough, this went on for about 20 minutes before the big boys realized they could fight back}

{And fight back they did!}


{This is Sam, who proves all you need is a little imagination, diving off his diving board into his pool -- in other words, jumping off the teeter totter into the lid of the sand box.}

{Again in Slow Motion}


{And this is why you wear swim diapers every time you go swimming, even if it is swimming in a lid in the back yard.}