Life Lesson

Don't try to out-wrestle your older brother.

You'll end up needing ice for your face.

Party Girl

It was a low-key shindig. Just the four of us.

But we made sure to include the most important party elements.

A new birthday dress was purchased.

Check it out folks. Do you see garish pink and purple with sequins? No! They are nowhere to be seen!

The Girl chose this dress all by herself. Really! I promise. I didn't coax her one bit.

I *adore* it. I think it was her little gift to me.

Packages were wrapped in fancy paper and tied with curly ribbon.

The desire to open the unknown was at a fever pitch.

Cake was a must.

With plenty of sprinkles.

I'm very impressed with this cake. It was flashy, but not gaudy.

If you recall last year's cake, that was not the case.

Candles.

It's not a birthday cake without candles.

I wonder what she wished for...

Mmmm. Tasty.

Once the cake was cut it was time for the good part.

Time to open those presents!

What's in this one?

Oh!

Yay!

A new Barbie. In a shiny outfit, no less.

Can't go wrong there.

It all made for a very happy day. For both of us.

Thank you for all of the very sweet birthday wishes...

I believe I have the best peeps in the world.

The Girl is in total agreement.

What's For Dinner?

The flavors of summer are aplenty...

Monday: grilled flank steak, black beans, grilled squash, guacamole, pico de gallo

Tuesday: grilled chicken with tomatoes, garlic, olives, and artichokes, orzo, chard, grilled asparagus

Wednesday: fish with garlic and lime, homemade refried beans, sliced avocado and tomato

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: hamburgers, oven fries

Saturday: homemade pizzas

I found a recipe for some apricot bars that I'm planning on baking this week. I'll let you know if they are worth your effort. I don't see how a cookie-type dough with added apricots could not be delish, but you never know.

In the meantime, have fun in the kitchen and eat well.

Old Sign Sunday

I have a thing for old signs.

I love the nostalgia. The weathered appearance. The story.

I'm not the only one.

Amy at LuckyNumber13 posted this a few weeks back. She has a thing for signs as well.

We decided that these pieces of history deserve a recurring post: Old Sign Sunday.

This sign was taken in my neighborhood. It's one of the original Shipley Donuts. Traffic still winds around the corner in the mornings as people wait for their fresh baked treats and a cup of coffee.

People say they are the best.

I wouldn't know. I don't eat them. But they sure smell good.

Please join us for Old Sign Sunday next week.

We have even set-up a Flickr group.

Cause it's legit, y'all.

The Girl wasn't the only one celebrating a birthday yesterday.

There's a perk that comes with sharing a birthday with your child...

The excitement returns.

F-I-V-E

My girl...

She loves nail polish and lip gloss.

Dresses and skirts are her favorite things to wear.

Jeans are tolerated when paired with a sparkly belt.

Her favorite flower is a rose.

She wants a garden of her own.

A garden without any bugs.

She loves her baby dolls.

Most of them have stripper names like Cherry, La La, Coco, and Cookie.

Recently she named a doll Alice. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

One day she will be a party planner.

They will be fabulous affairs with incredible decorations.

You'll want to be on one of those guest lists. Guaranteed.

Her feelings are tender.

She takes everything to heart.

Apologies come easy for her. She wants to kiss and make-up.

Her mouth is shaped like a heart.

And she will penetrate you with her deep blue eyes.

Boys will one day be entranced.

This scares the daylights out of me.

Her daddy is already a victim of her spell.

"Pleeeeease...oh, pretty pleeeease."

That's all it takes.

This should scare the daylights out of him.

She has a laugh that comes deep from her belly.

It is hard to feel blue when she is in the room.

Her charms are many.

Sometimes I look at her and I have a difficult time seeing my little baby.

Instead I see the girl that she is becoming...

And the woman that she will be.

I'm not ready for that. Not yet.

Today my girl turns five.

Happy birthday, Nora Sabine.

You, my love, are a shining star.

Disco Shoes

The Girl has *the worst* taste in footwear.

She tends to favor shades of bright pink or purple. Glitter and sparkles are always appreciated. Jewels. Lucite. Large buckles and bows.

The gaudier, the better.

These are her most recent choice.

They aren't that bad you say?

Ha!

Look. They light up.

Hmmm...I don't think you're getting the full effect.

They light up with multi-colored flashing lights.

Yep.

If anyone can make a pair of purple-glitter-croc-style-disco-light jellies work for her, it would be The Girl.

This is why I question her DNA.

For Those of You Who Like Blueberries...

My plans for a strawberry pie morphed into a plan involving blueberries.

Blueberries are in season and plentiful.

That, or HEB ordered too many pints because they were priced to sell.

We stocked up.

I had a set of helping hands...

Make that two sets of helping hands.

**You are witnessing the one fleeting moment of peace and quiet on this day.**

I added a bit of sugar, some cornstarch, and a touch of almond extract.

Stir well...

Make that, very well.

The recipe is from Cooking Light.

You can find it here.

You'll know when it's done by the sweet smell that floods your home.

Man alive. It's intoxicating.

That corner...it's mine.

All mine.

Yumz.

What's For Dinner?

This is one of those weeks where I'm making a plan with the full knowledge that it might get hijacked. We have been invited to a pool party and there are a couple of important birthdays taking place. Still...here's the plan as it stands right now.

Monday: grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes, green beans, baked apples

Tuesday: kabobs, grilled vegetable salad, tomatoes

Wednesday: southwestern cobb salad with grilled chicken

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: hamburgers, oven fries

Saturday: A night with no plan...we will go out, bring in, or wing it. It's good to live on the edge from time to time.

I have some baking to do this week. I'm still ironing out the details with one of my sous chefs, but it will be of the cake variety.

I did a bit of baking last week. You'll see the results tomorrow. I will tease you by saying it was quite tasty and is almost gone.

I hope you all had a nice weekend and found a dad to spoil. We attempted to spoil the daddy in our house. There were homemade cards, a bit of extra sleep due to quiet children, some sun, pool time, no chores, and a grilled dinner.

We indulged with some high quality tenderloins that were cooked to perfection. I dare say these steaks were in my top 3 ever. The Mr. has some serious grill-mojo. Combined with some grilled asparagus, corn, and a tomato salad...it was a party in my mouth, I tell ya!

We topped off the evening by taking the kids to a movie. Toy Story 3 got the majority vote. I'm so glad it did. It was worth every penny of the over-priced movie ticket cost. The adults enjoyed it as much as The Offspring. And we have reassured Teddy that he will never ever be donated or relegated to the attic.

So, what's cooking in your kitchen? Any dishes worth sharing? Do tell.

Today Is His Day...

He had no idea what he was getting into.

Happy Father's Day!

The love we feel for you
is without measure.

Always has been.

Always will be.

One of *Those* Days

Today has been one of *those* days.

The Offspring have had a difficult time finding common ground.

Translation: They have fought like cats and dogs.

All. Day. Long.

About any and all things.

Such hot button topics have included:

*who got out of bed first

*who was in the nicest mood

*who got dressed the quickest

*who would open the toothpaste

*who had the shiniest teeth

*who would get to the car first

*who would fasten their seat belt first

*who was making that annoying noise

*who was looking at the other person

*who was singing

*who got a straw first

*who would hold the door open

*who would close the garage door

*who could draw better

*who had more friends

*who put on their swimsuit the quickest

*who got sunblock first

*who got to sit on the yellow floatie

*who was messing with the other person

*who was splashing the other person

*who got to choose their Popsicle first

*who would finish their Popsicle first

*who was afraid of bugs

*who would hold the remote

*who would get the last of the Goldfish

*who said shut-up

*who called the other person a dork

*who would turn-up the TV

*who would get to help unload the dishwasher

*who could stir the best

*who had more blueberries

*who got more cantaloupe

*who had to pick-up the ABC puzzle cards

*who got to sit in Mommy's lap first

*who was the calmest

*who would put napkins on the table

*who finished dinner first

*who got to take a bath first

*who had to take a bath first

*who would get to sit next to Mommy and watch her play Bejeweled Blitz on her phone

*who got to pick the movie

*who would feed the dog

*who got to be Shrek

*who got to be Donkey

*who got to be Puss

Shrek is almost over.

Harmony still eludes us.

It's almost bedtime.

Amen.