Happy Place

First of all friends if I haven't told you lately, which is a very good possibility because I have been trying to cut back on the time I spend on the net. My google reader has over 700 unread posts. Somethings gotta give. Anyway...

If you DON'T like baseball you should probably stop reading right now. Today was the opening game for spring training! Luckily my man got to work for a couple innings. They couldn't pull out a win against the Miami Marlins, but only lost by one run. An excellent effort and comeback in the ninth.

Expect to be seeing lots more photos similar to this. I can't help it that a baseball game is one of my favorite places to be! 

The Mr. took a line drive to his hind end and I begged him for a picture of the shiner but he said no. It's a perfect round circle right on the tush. Sorry friends, gotta keep it PG here on the blog. He will probably be upset for me even writing this but truth is truth and it makes me giggle a little bit. Sidenote - Happy four months of marriage to us!

Other things happened over the weekend include admiring the gorgeous flowers, a day trip to the beach, and of course practicing my sewing skills.

*******I interrupt this post because I just received a Tango call from two of my favorite kids EVER! They make my heart melt.**** 

You can see I'm sitting in time-out too right now. 

My heart is so happy. Tonight I'm cooking dinner here (pancakes) and we are staying in. I hope you all had a great weekend and a good Monday. Just remember Friday will be here before you know it.

A Recipe: No Bake Dirt Cake

It's that time of year and I'm sure you are looking for something spooky to whip up that is still edible. This is especially fun if you have to take something to work OR for your kids around Halloween.

Dirt Cake:

Ingredients:


1 to 1 1/4 lb. pkg Oreo Cookies
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanillla
3 cups milk
1 (12oz) tub Cool Whip (Chocolate will make it darker)
2 (3 1/2oz) pkg chocolate pudding
Gummy worms

Mix it:


Crush Oreos. Put 1/3 of crushed Oreos into new clean flower pot. Set aside.

Mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Set aside.

Combine milk and pudding mix. 

Fold Cool Whip into the pudding.Next fold together the pudding mixture and butter-cream cheese mixture.


Layer this mixture onto the crushed Oreos. Layer more crushed Oreos and pudding mixture until all ingredients are used. As you're layering the ingredients place gummy worms or other gummy critters throughout the 'dirt.'

Chill in refrigerator for three to four hours before serving.


I used this cake for Big Guy's birthday. I put dump trucks on top because thats about all he thinks is cool these days. 

It would also be cute to put flower shaped lollipops for a little girls party OR just make it creepy for Halloween. You don't have to have a flower pot you can use a pie plate or cake pan or any other fun dish you have around the house. 


Go check out some other 'Whats for Dinner' recipes here and link up your own.

Bug's 2nd Birthday

Bug and Big Guy, these are the names I have used for you since the day I started watching you. The first day I layed eyes on you, you were only three weeks old.  We really started to get to know each other when you were about five months old. You were tiny. I hadn't had much experience with babies being that I was only 23 and had just graduatd college. I can't say for sure when I fell in love with you but I'm sure it was a quick fall.  It might have been because you were such a stud in your little Cardinal jumpsuit. 


My life changed when I started watching you. I had NO clue what it took to take care of a baby. I didn't know how to fix a bottle or make baby cereal or determine that different cries meant different things. I learned quickly though and you were very patient with me. You must have known that I had never done this before. 


Then things began to get a little tricky. You decided you wanted to sit up and roll over and you even tried to crawl. Lucky for me all you could do was a very impressive push up for a six month old. That didn't last long though and you were on the move. I do remember that I could almost always trick you to sleep with a ride in your swing. I know you think that is mean, but this isn't the first nor last time I would have to trick you to get you to take a nap for me. 


I can't remember which mornings your sister had preschool but I remember what you and I did while she was gone. You would try to help me do some laundry but just ended up emptying the basket all over the living room for me. I do appreciate you trying to help. Then after that we would put in a Baby Einstein movie, my favorite was Baby Mozart I think that was your s too, fix you a bottle and slip off into a deep sleep.  Our little secret. Don't tell your mom and dad that I would actually nap with you. Most days I didn't but your warm little body cuddled in my arms was priceless and somedays put me right to sleep. 


Then you throw me a curve ball as soon as I get the hang of it. One day, we were following our routine and you projectile vommited all over me. I'll never forget that day and the lesson you taught me. You are probably laughing now but I was more scared than disgusted. I was giving you a bottle and I think at the time you had some congestion with bad drainage (also nothing new you teething, snotty little boy) you gagged and almost everything you just guzzled down came directly out and there was a force behind it. You may have set a distance record as well. Your dad and sister had just went to lay down and take a nap and I had no clue what to do with you. It was on my running shorts, in your rocker, all over you, on the carpet, and it made it all the way over to the couch. Just remember if you ever puke on a girl if you get drunk, which I know you won't ever, tell her she isn't the first girl you puked on. 


I guess by now you were pulling up on everything but not daring enough to take walk. This is a huge shock because there isn't anything you won't try and get into now. You were starting to eat baby food instead of bottles and cereal. Before I knew it. You were already ONE year old. Something strange happened when you turned one though. I had to move away to Alabama to be with the other love of my life. I dreaded the weeks leading up to my departure trying to capture as many pictures and moments with you and to teach you anything I could before I left. Your walking was getting pretty good and you started to look like a little boy instead of a baby in your clothes. 


It was a busy weekend. Sister's 4th birthday party was Saturday and you got baptized Sunday morning with a birthday celebration for you to follow. I was there for all of it and I cried because you will realize soon that girls cry, a lot, over very little things. I made you and sister a slideshow of all our adventures from the previous year. I cried while we watched it and you just looked up at me with those handsome eyes of yours. As I pulled away from your house, you, your sister, Mom and Dad were all waving goodbye to me. It was what I thought the last day I'd be considered your baby sitter.


I recieved phone calls from your mom and sister and when I came to town I would stop by and see you. I stole as many kisses from you as I could. I still do that now. 


Then,  I got a job in Alabama and about ten days before I was supposed to start your mom called me and asked me if I wanted to move back to watch you and your sister again. I thought she was joking. I told her the odds weren't very good of that happening. Much to my suprise I called back and committed to being your babysitter for a second time. I thank God for his crazy timing.


It didn't take me long to fall back into our routine however you were a bit different this time. You were running around the house and showing me what you wanted. Before I had to figure all of this out on my own.  There was no more rocker to rock you to sleep in. Now we put a movie in and you fell asleep next to me in the big chair. You were eating people food, not the stuff we told you was delicious from a jar. I think you even knew how to dance a little but not anything like you do now.


Summer rolled around and I've never met a kid that loves being outside more than you. No I'm serious you didn't care if it was cold, hot hot, or rainy. You had to be outside. At the same time your baby jabber started turning into more than just sounds, but words. We went to the pool and you were brave enough to jump in off the diving board. This was another day you scared me pretty bad. You went in one step to many and I looked over not seeing you, dropped anything in my hands and ran to pull you out of the water. It took me a good five minutes to quit shaking. It was just reassurance of how much I love you and care for you and couldn't let anything happen to you.


Now we are up to speed and today you are quite the handful. Your naps are triggered by rides in the car dropping sister off at preschool. When we get back to the house its the same thing each day, I kiss your crazy curly hair and lay you in your bed and stare at you for a few seconds. I say the simplest prayer of 'God please watch over this little guy and let him grow up to be someone amazing.'  Then I think back to what feels like yesterday of how you used to share your naptime with me. 


Your single words have turned into phrases. You tell me what you want to eat for lunch, watch on tv, and do the rest of the day.  And if we don't do that, you throw one of your lovely little fits. I can't help but think its cute because the things you want are often so simple. A ride in the dump truck. A piece of cheese. To go swing. To color.   Mostly you want to go outside to see a truck of ANY kind. You are starting to figure out how big the world is. I have a feeling you will grow up to be some sort of an athlete but that might be because we forced you to watch so much baseball the last four to five months. 


It brings the biggest smile to my face when I hear you say my name.. something like Wahwin, especially "Pweese Wahwin?"  I'll take it. Then to top it off you often mistake your Albert Pujols toy figurine for Brandon. When you get older this too will make you laugh.


All in all you are by far my most favorite little boy in this entire world. I know that my second term of being your babysitter has ended but I'm hoping next year we will get to spend more time together and I can see what your crazy little two year old self is getting into. I am excited to recieve pictures, texts, and phone calls to hear your sweet little voice. Hope you had a great second birthday even though you try to tell us you're four. 


Love always,

Mini Post: Miss You

I miss you all. I really do. Please please stick around - you are never EVER going to believe what I'm up to. But like all things this write up takes time.

Also I'll be sharing those letters I am writing to my little charges. My days as their nanny can be counted on my fingers. Add Klenex to the grocery list cause you may shed some tears.

Happy Friday FRIENDS!!!

Pay It Forward

We want what we can't have. Everyone does it. It just happens. The boy that isn't single. The food on the diet. The curly hair if it is straight. The straight hair if it is curly. If someone tells you not to think about how far off the ground you are when your about to sky dive what do you think about? How stinking high in the air you are, duh! It is what it is. I said I'd cut back blogging. But. I. Just. Can't.


I have a fun little story I want to share. 


Today I loaded the kids into the car. Swimsuits. Towels. Snacks. Drinks. Sunscreen. I'd say a good twenty minute process.

We went to the pool on this sweltering hot day for a swim but....we found this unlucky fellow.

We left. Attempted the city pool with no success, weekends only. Plan B or C I suppose. Ice cream.

The end. Almost.

[Have you ever read one of those stories where a woman is in line at the grocery store and she goes to pay and realizes that she is either short on cash, forgot her wallet, or credit card gets denied. Then from behind a kindhearted person offers to help pay the shortage or even the whole tab. Well if you've never heard a story like that one listen up.]


We proceed into the ice cream shop to order two small bowls of chocolate ice cream and a strawberry cheescake cone.  I pull out my wallet and debit card and the young clerk replies, " I'm sorry we only take cash."  I know for sure I have cash in the car but the question is how do I  go get it without disturbing two children who just started in on ice cream and not make the three customers that just walked in have to wait for me. I can't leave them and taking them back outside isn't really an option. So we sit and I decided when we were finished I will bring the money back inside. 


I never had time for that. The older gentleman behind us turned to me and said, " I got it." I told him I had cash in the car it wasn't a problem and he insisted. Thanks man! Seriously I almost started crying because I was SO grateful he just saved me more hassle than he knew. I know it was just six bucks but to me it felt like a hundred. 


What if we all took the time and effort and maybe a few dollars to save someone else some hassle. Is it really that hard? The world would be such a better place. Keep your eyes and ears out for these opportunities and I promise they will be there. Pay it forward. The end. 


If you can't get enough of me here, which I'm sure you do, you can find me on Twitter @larnlevy. It is my new found love and I can't get enough of it even if I'm a little behind with the times. Tweet tweet. 


Also--- I believe I will be sponsoring a blog in the month of September (woot woot) and I think she will be doing a giveaway VERY SOON with something that yours truly has created, but I'll keep you posted as I get more info. Now quit thinking about it, or don't :)


Sheesh you still want more? Go check out this saweet giveaway at Tatertots & Jello. I'm slightly obsessed with the tote bags made by Kellie over at Nest of Posies. My favorite are the athletic team bags perfect for game days! 


Alright I'm done ranting so go on and get outta here!

Berzerk

We got a little creative the last couple of days. The kids were driving me bonkers. Yep those cute little things I love so much can still drive me crazy. Since it has been a little bit cooler, high 80s/low 90s instead of 100 degree heat, we have been outside a lot.

We love sidewalk chalk. I have never seen this before and then I text these cute little photos to my sister and she sent me to this website. Okay seriously I felt like an under achiever after seeing that. It was fun though and the kiddos parents enjoyed it. 

Then we experimented with sidewalk paint. I think that I will make this again, kids or no kids. 

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup of cornstarch. 1/4 Cup of water. Food coloring. Stir.  

It is awesome! Try it. Love it. Share it. The neat part is when it dries you can brush your hand over it and it will brush right off with a powder texture. Sweeps away easily if you don't want tacky drawings all over the sidewalk. Just make sure you have large paint brushes, we had to use the itty bitty water color paint brushes, but we made it work. 

Here is to the last few weeks of summer and kids all over driving parents and babysitters berzerk before they head back to school. 

Summa Time

I have a brain teaser for you. What is cuter than an almost two year making friends with 'fwogs' and big sister learning that she can jump into the pool without someone to catch her? 

Are you stumped? So am I. You can keep searching for the answer, but you won't find one. Tricky me.

I absolutely love days like today. They define summer. Kids lathered in sunscreen. Hot vehicles to catalyst the moans and groans of the heat. T-shirts and shorts soaked from the time you didn't take to get completely dried off. Nasty tangled hair from the pool. Sunkissed skin. Popsicles or ice cream for a post swim snack. Piles of wet towels and swimsuits needing washed. Being sleepy and worn out. Happily repeating this all again tomorrow. {Sigh}

Ah the joys of summa-time. Thankful for these hot hot hot summer days and cool afternoon swims.

Super Nanny

I was asked tonight how I landed my job as Super Nanny. What? Come on, I think I have earned the title, no?  I thought it would be a nice story to share and document because this particular job has provided me flexibility over the last two years needed to make my relationship work. Reflecting now on this particular string of events I see so clearly God's provision.


I had finished my internship in September of 2009. I packed my belongings for the fifth move within four months and headed home. Home home, with Mom and Dad. Scary. I had fallen in love. He was moving back to his sweet home in Alabama. Typically summer love does not last. This was not summer love. It was something more. It was something unexplainable. It truly was a match made in heaven.


September through October was used to relax and take some free time for myself after graduation and internships had ended. We spent this time traveling back and forth visiting one another. I had intentions of finding a job.  I had in mind one that would not be permanent and would allow me to take time to travel to see him.  If I remember correctly I had never actually put in one single job application in my few months of unemployment. I did not have a plan.


It was random. Both times. I didn't seek this job. I never filled out an application. I was not required to take a drug test or even go through training. I did not have to beat out other candidates. I didn't have a nerve wrecking interview. It went like this. My family and I were in her store looking at the Christmas displays over Thanksgiving weekend. We had just finished discussing that I had graduated and moved back home and seeking some form of employment.  And then she said this, "Do you want to be my nanny." "Yeah, sure." I casually replied. "Okay, I'll call you Monday." End of conversation. I did not think I would get a call. Monday my phone rang and we set up a time to meet. I had no idea what I was in for.


No joke. This is exactly how I landed my first job out of college. Are you jealous? I tell everyone its easy. I am so unbelievably thankful I was plan less. This job has been way better than anything I would have picked for myself.


I can't begin to describe the things I have learned about myself. I have been exposed to seeing them achieve success at trying new things. I have dealt with the challenges of tantrums, dirty diapers, attitudes, and the concept of sharing. They have made me laugh and maybe cry. I have watched these two kids go through so many stages and phases and it has been awesome. You can see some more of this here. I've enjoyed sharing my craftiness to help celebrate their birthdays too. I love love love entertaining them and making them giggle with funny accents. Maybe someday you will get an audio clip. My British accent is getting pretty good if I do say so myself.


I wish when this job began I would have written letters weekly or monthly to the kids about the crazy stuff they said or did. Like the time I got projectile vomited on or maybe the time she painted herself a red beard when I was not watching. I know over the next few months I will write them both letters and I hope to share them with you when the time comes. I have received the best training any future mom can get. God willing, I hope to some day have my own children to love. I know that this isn't the typical first job out of college but it has been perfect for me and I have cherished each day with them. 


The reason I am writing about this is because I know this fall I will be heading south and therefore unemployed. I hope and pray that another opportunity will be laid before me. Based on the past and my faith in God's plan I know he will provide. Until then, I will enjoy caring and loving these crazy kids. 

[He was born and always will be a Cardinal fan. Already has a great arm.]

[Even our rainy days are good days]

[They hold hands on their own. 

I love teaching them to be friends and to love]

Psalm 37:4 

Take delight in the Lord, 

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

My Work Is To Play

Some days work goes like this and I LOVE it.

Want to see more head over here.

Birthdays

It has been such a joy working with this family for the last 11 months.  Friday was my last day.  It is so bittersweet I can't even describe.  In life you get called in different directions.  This job has been absolutely perfect for me, but it is time I am being called into a different direction. Yesterday and today were the little one's birthday parties! Below are the invitations I created for each party. What a blast. I am so thankful they asked me to join them.  

Shout out to my sister for her amazing print! Very fancy. Thanks KARL!

Bug's Invites

LOOK AT THAT HANDSOME FACE!

What a blessing in disguise. They are such amazing kids. I will miss them more than words can say. God has taught me many MANY lessons and they have truly changed my life. I am so excited to be a mother someday!!

I have one more post coming 

soon before the BIG move. 

Apologies for the lag time between.

Happy Halloween!

lauren

Paper Mache

I really like to use my creativity to come up with things for me to do with the kids while I am working.  I would she exercise her mind doing something that starting at the t.v. all day.  This is what I came up with.  Paper mache.  It just so happens I thought of this already at their house and couldn't leave to go get supplies.  Talk about using your resources. 

In my mind, I planned this to take almost the whole hour or two that her brother would sleep.  She did not want to get her hands messy and this is the extent to which she painted her can. I thought she would want to paint something...

I on the other hand decided to use this time for my own creativeness to be unleashed.  Having lots of big decisions on my mind this was a good distraction. I know I shouldn't brag, she is 3 yeasr old, but I was pretty impressed with myself. Maybe I should look into painting!

lauren