Tiny Tales Thursday

KK picked Radley up from school on Monday and Emmy started to cry a bit in the car. She wouldn't settle down and was getting pretty upset when Radley started to laugh.

KK: Rad, it's not nice to laugh at your sister. Do you want people to laugh at you when you cry?

Rad: No

KK: Well, it's not funny when she cries either.

Rad: But it's funny to me, KK.

I don't think Empathy is one of his top five strengths.


On Tuesday night we were putting Radley to bed and saying our bedtime prayers. We always end with "Now I lay me down to sleep" and then of course bless those that we love.

Tuesday we added a few new friends to the mix:

Rad: God bless... Radley (always him first), Daddy, Mommy, Emmy, GiGi, Pops, KK, Buzz Lightyearrrr, Cars, 'Itning McQueen, Rex, Pete, Bok, and all our friends.

God watches us all, I guess! :)

Power Cooking for the Fall...

We had a jam packed weekend filled with a birthday celebration for Jeremy, a bridal shower for sweet Kerri Tuley (can NOT believe she's getting married... she's supposed to be 17 years old), a run to the library, grocery shopping and the new American past-time Power Cooking!!

This version of PC was a bit more difficult because the crew of 4 each had to do it at our own houses. We all apparently lead crazy, busy lives and couldn't find a time to meet, socialize and cook. **Note: NEVER try to do this alone if it's your first time... you will go crazy. I suffered about 2 panic attacks on Sunday and I'm a pro!**

I made three dishes this time, Turkey Tetrazzini, Chicken Ranch Tenders and Chicken Spaghetti. You can see the first two recipes here.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 medium onion diced

2 cans diced tomato with oregano, basil and onion (undrained)

2 cups diced chicken

8 oz spaghetti

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

5 oz Velveeta cheese

I quadrupled the recipe to make 4 casseroles with 6 servings each.

Step 1: Gather ingredients

Step 2: Chop bell peppers

Step 3: Saute bell pepper and onion (once again I just used frozen chopped onions)

Step 4: Add canned tomatoes and worcestershire; bring to a boil and cook 8 minutes. Meanwhile cook spaghetti according to package directions

Step 5: Mix ingredients and place in baking dish. Cover and freeze! When ready to eat thaw overnight and bake at 35o degrees until heated through.

Ryan and Emmy helped me get stuff together this time...

We had food EVERYWHERE!

This is what each family got from the Kings!

All together each family received 17 meals and one side of twice baked potatoes for the low low cost of $5.88/meal!! ISN'T THAT AMAZING!?!?!

We are making big batch soups in November so if you have a yummy recipe send it my way!!

A legacy...

So one of the best things I did in college was join a sorority and one the best things my parents paid for/supported was the fact that I joined sorority.

Those of you that know me (which I'm sure is anyone that is reading this because I don't think I've yet reached the ultimate blog goal of having strangers follow me... oh to dream! I digress...)

Anywho... those of you that know me are not surprised to discover that I LOVED rushing a sorority. Everything about it is right up my ally. Meeting new people, telling random stories, making new friends... it was great! Well, back in August of 1997 I was in the middle of what is now known as "sorority recruitment".

The first day you got to visit all 12 houses on campus and for most it was a L-O-N-G day in the Texas heat all dressed up trying to keep your hair fresh, your sweat minimal, your clothes unwrinkled, etc... For me, it was a day in the same $35 outfit I got at Jacque Penne (JcPenney) earlier that year and I'm pretty sure a pair of shoes from Payless! :) But, by 9:30 at night, I, too was a bit tired.

Until I went to the final house...

All of a sudden the doors flew open and Spice Girls was blaring on the speakers. 150 women were singing at the top of their lungs to made up words to this now classic... "If you wanna be my sister" ... and I was hooked.

{bid day 1997}

From that moment I knew that I wanted to be a Delta Zeta and I am so glad that I am. Through this organization I got to meet such wonderful women and friends. Two stood beside me as bridesmaids on my wedding day and one is now the Godmother to Radley. What a wonderful blessing to have such great women to laugh with, cry with, lean on and support through each step of our lives.

I'm still active in our alumnae group and serve as the faculty advisor for the TAMU Chapter. Recruitment was last week and although the styles have changed and they sing a different tune, one thing remains the same... friendships are formed and sisterhood is created.

I just had to take Emmy to her first bid day and introduce her to the pink and green...

She got to meet one of her future sorority sisters, too!

Who knows... maybe in the fall of 2026 she will be welcomed in the halls of the DZ singing the same tunes as me, learning a secret handshake and password that was formed 100 years ago.

How fun would it be to not only have her as my daughter, but to look at her on the day that she becomes my "sister", too.

In the flame...

Tiny Tales Thursday

A sweet story from my first day back at work.

I picked Radley up from school on Monday and as usual, he didn't want to leave just yet.

"Five more minutes, Mommy... I playing".

After convincing him that he would have just as much fun at home as he does at school we grabbed his papers for the day, his cup and were off to the car.

I told him that I had started work again that day and that he should ask Mommy how her day was.

He stopped on the side walk and looked at me with this pitiful face and exclaimed, "No, Mommy. I not want you to work. You stay home with Emmy and I go to school."

He just didn't want me leaving his baby sister by herself!

Story #2....

This really isn't a story more of a "phase" that he is in at the moment. At any given time we can ask him a question and his reply will first be "yes" followed by "I on't kno" [I don't know]

Me: Radley, are you hungry?

Rad: Yes

Me: Do you know what you want for dinner?

Rad: Yes

Me: What, buddy?

Rad: I on't kno

Ryan: Did you have fun at school today?

Rad: Yes

Ryan: What did you do?

Rad: I on't kno

Me: Rad, do you know whose birthday is tomorrow?

Rad: Yes!

Me: Whose?

Rad: I on't kno

The list goes on and on... it's really funny and this tale doesn't do it near the justice it deserves!!

And for one final tale...

Happy Birthday Jeremy Paul Guercio!! You are an amazing brother, friend and uncle and our lives would not be the same without you in it. I am so glad that my kids get to grow up with you down the street and share their hearts and lives with you every day! You can do no wrong in Radley's eyes and I thank you for loving him and caring for him like he was your own!

May this day and many more ahead be filled with joy and happiness!

We love you!

Back in the saddle...

Well, the day finally came... although it was not the end of the world it was the end of the stay at home mom -- go to the gym while the baby is with KK -- watch daytime television and DVRed everything -- eat ice cream at noon -- nap at 10am, 1pm and 2pm -- Sonic happy hour -- cuddle bug with baby -- life that I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 11 weeks!

This is the face of a lady headed to her first day of work from maternity leave...

complete with almost 3 year-olds "school stuff", gym bag, and my reacquainted BFF, "Pumpy Brewster".

The week has actually not been bad at all. It helps to have a job that I do love, surrounded by fun people to work with and engaging students in what it is that drives them to succeed. I received an email that was much too kind on Sunday night (thank you Liz) that had me extra ready to head into the new school year.

It has been an adjustment getting back into the swing of things. While I had been waking up at my normal "get ready for work" time, I had NOT been "getting ready for work". Monday was quite a Monday with forgotten lunches, spilled Dr. Peppers, unanswered emails, and rushed Mommy's! I think I better get used to it and I also think that my morning routine may need to start a tad earlier. But hey, if Emmy wants to sleep until 7 then so does Mommy!!

Picking Radley up from school on Monday was a bit sweeter and walking in the door was even more welcoming when we got to see this sweet face...

and were treated to an after school snack provided by KK...

I have loved every minute of the time that I got to spend with Emmy at home. She truly is a delight in all of our lives and I am anxious to continue to watch her grow and become a little lady over the next months and years!

ALL mom's have a tough job but I want working mom's to know that it is OKAY that they do work. The ability to work makes me a better Mommy. It gives me an outlet to do what I am passionate about, to share my strengths, to improve my weaknesses and to make an impact on young minds that will hopefully take what they have learned from me into the next phase of their own lives.

Working not only makes me happy (maybe not all the time... but I really do love my job) it provides for my family. It challenges me more than I thought it could. It allows me to acquire knowledge and skills that will help me be a better parent. It has given me friends that I can learn from and lean on at any given moment. It gives me the opportunity to share my family, my time and heart with others.

At the end of the day my number one goal is to make my family proud of me. I want my kids to smile when they think of me to know that I did everything I could to make them happy, to keep them safe and to provide a life for them that they deserve.

So while I miss the time that I could have with them M-F 8am - 5pm ... I look forward to the lessons that they will learn by venturing out into life and submerging themselves in all that it has to offer.

Necessities? ....

What do each of these things have in common...







In a few days you will find out!!

Sip and See...

Ryan, Emersyn and I made the long drive to Sherman on Saturday to introduce Miss Estelle Emersyn King to the "ladies of Sherman, Texas." Ryan's sweet mom, Fely (or Lola as she is now known by the grandkids) wanted to show her off to all of her friends.

I had gone to Waco earlier in the week so Radley got to spend a few extra days with GiGi and Pops. Thanks for watching him, Mom and Dad, it made the car ride much easier especially since Emmy doesn't love a road trip! (I know, how can she be MY child... we will be working on that)

I digress.

{Lola and Emmy ready to party}

Lola had the house all decorated and put together in the way that only Lola can. Each detail was sweet and each treat was even sweeter and we had such a great time.

A little story about Lola and all of her friends.

Lola is from the Philippines, moving to the states when she was 21. She met and married Ryan's dad and moved to Sherman. Since living here she has made tons of friends, the majority being ladies from other parts of the world. They love to joke that the "foreigners" are all American!

Lillian is from France, Miss Julia is from England, Margaret it Scottish (NEVER tell her she is from Ireland), Olga is from Spain (I think) and the list goes on and on. It is always such fun to be surrounded by these women and just listen to their stories and hear all about how their paths came together in Sherman, Texas of all places.

Emmy was of course the star of the day and received lots of goodies! Thank you to each of you that came to meet our little girl and spoiled her rotten!

{Some of the sweet goodies Emmy received}

{The giraffe piggy bank is PRECIOUS}

{Lillian was teaching Emmy the ways of the world}

{Lola's brother, Jaime, and sister-in-law, Norma.... hmmm... where does my child get those features from?!? }

We had such wonderful time and were sad that the trip was only a day trip. Next time we will have to stay longer to enjoy all the company.

Tiny Tales Thursday

Radley was playing with something in the car the other day and just could not get it to work.

I asked him what was wrong.

Nothing, Mommy, it's just being "orneardy".

Yes, my almost 3 year old knows the word, "ornery".

Genius, right?

Happy Thursday everyone!

Dinner with Friends

One of the many blessings we have received since Emmy arrived is the outpouring of love and support from friends and family. Many of these wonderful people brought us meals over the past 11 weeks keeping our tummy's full and our hearts happy.

Thanks to each of you that cooked, ordered and delivered meals to us! Because you of I got to spend more precious moments with Ryan, Radley and Emersyn and our trips to the grocery store were a bit simpler, too! :)

Last night we enjoyed "Mexican Spaghetti" with Amber and Julian who are expecting a baby of their own in January! We are so excited for these precious friends and I can't wait to see how cute their bundle of joy will be!

Doesn't Emmy fit in perfectly with them!?!

THANK YOU, Cindy, Josh, Caroline and Annaliese; Angie; Jessica and Ainsley; Jenni and Lyndee; Shannon, Davis and Hannah; Jennifer and Skylar; Heather, Kevin, Wes and Ben

Julie; Kelly, Bill and Catelin; and Amber and Julian. We love you tons and are so grateful for you!!

It's all GREEK to me...

When Ryan and I were dating we developed more than just a love for each other (HA!). If you can imagine, we are both food junkies... we would both rather spend $150 on a great dinner than a pair of shoes. We love that food brings people together; we love to entertain; we love just to cook up a storm and try new recipes.

Our song became our song one night while trying a new recipe. Corn mushroom casserole (sooo yummy) was the new recipe that night and as we were cooking at "the yellow house" DMB Crash came on and we danced right there in the kitchen. Pretty sweet, huh?

Recently we have been sticking to some staple recipes and reheating our frozen meals from my power cooking group and while that is nice and keeps food on our table, I do miss having the time to try out new things and cook with him.

This weekend, we were able to dedicate some time to menu preparation for the next few weeks and tried out a DELICIOUS (and HEALTHY) new recipe that will become one we use over and over again!

Greek Chicken with Orzo and Feta ...

378 calories/serving

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can diced tomato with onion and garlic, undrained

1 can sliced olives (drained)

1/3 cup chicken broth (we used low sodium)

1/4 cup flour

EVOO

oregano

salt

feta cheese

orzo pasta

Ryan mixing up our green tea

Line large skillet with EVOO and heat on high. Dredge chicken in flour and oregano (add as much oregano as you like) and place in skillet. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove from skillet and drain. Cut chicken in large chunks and return to skillet. Add chicken broth and tomatoes; simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add olives until heated and serve over orzo. Garnish with feta cheese.

Super tasty and healthy, too! Even the Radster ate it (we did removed the olives and most of the tomatoes, but he loved some feta cheese!) We served with flatbread and hummus!

Things to note:

1. It took a little longer than 4 minutes/side to make sure the chicken was cooked through, but I had some hefty breasts (HA!).

2. I never really measure out things like EVOO and spices to taste which is why I didn't add the measurements here.

3. Next time we are going to use 2 cans of tomatoes and 2 cans of olives because we like our veggies (not sure what that will do for the calorie count...olives may add a bit)

4. It made a great sandwich for leftovers... just rolled it up in our whole wheat flatbread

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Also hope that your cooking partner is as cute and wonderful as mine! ;)

The life of Kings...

So I realize that I have been delinquent in my blogging recently and being a good queen I must keep the people (ie. my mom) happy. So I thought I would upload a ton of pictures to prove that we have been having so much this summer.

I haven't been blogging because we have been...

spending time with our besties...

getting spoiled by our family...

trying to grow chubby cheeks...

watching our sweet friends when they are ickie

(doesn't Caro look JUST like Cindy?!?)

being horrible babysitters and turning Anna's mouth purple

(still don't know where she found that crayon)

practicing for KK to takeover...

being a cute strawberry shortcake...

(we love our blanket, Bebe!)

making funny faces...

putting on our poker faces...

(way to go Emmy!)

meeting fun friends, Mike...

And Ryan...

reading books with GiGi...

building trains with Pops...

mastering the grill with Daddy...

and making messes for Mommy!

All that stuff just tires you out!

Happy Monday! Have a beautiful day!!

Tiny Tales Thursday...

There is nothing like a toddler boy. They are loud, filled with dirt and smudges, sometimes smelly, and offer lots of giggles. They never run out of ways to surprise you either as I am learning with Radley.

Radley has consistently been using the potty since December. We are lucky that his teachers at school basically potty trained him so our money has been well spent! He has the occasional accident (but so do drunk frat boys) and we try to keep encouraging him to his quest for potty success!

Recently, though, he has been pooping in his pants [again]. He will "hold it in" for days at a time and then go to a quiet corner, do his business and think nothing of it. Last week he had a poop accident at school so we talked about telling an adult when you have to use the potty, etc...

His response as always, "Okay, Mommy".

We got home from school on this day and he was playing, I was making dinner, KK was playing with Emmy and then I noticed that all of a sudden a certain little man had gotten awfully quiet.

Me: "Radley, what are you doing?"

Radley: Silence

Me: "Radddleyyy"

Radley: Silence

Me: "Radley, are you pooping??!?!"

And then a one Radley King comes running into the kitchen naked from the waist down.... smiling.

Me: "Buddy, what did you just do?"

Radley: "I went poopy, Mommy. Once in the potty and once in my hand!" (lots of smiles and full of pride)

Me: "What?"

KK: Laughing uncontrollably

Emmy: Pooping in her diaper (maybe)

Radley: "I pooped in the potty and once in my hand." Still smiling, of course.

He led me to the bathroom where there was in fact some poop in the potty and another poop on the floor.

Lovely.

We quickly ran a bath and washed anything that may or may not have touched said poop.... twice. :)

41 Years and counting...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD!!

Forty-one years ago today you got married and started your life together!

Since then you've created a life filled with the good times (and maybe even some bad) and set an example for others to follow.

You have three of the cutest, smartest and greatest kids ever born. (especially that little girl in the pig tails)

You also have 3 of the cutest grandkids ever born, too!

You've seen each of us (AND many of our friends) through our own good and bad times and we could not have asked for better parents than you.

You are loved by so many people that count you as blessings each and every day!

We love you tons!! Happy Anniversary and we pray for 41 more years!!

If you want to leave an anniversary message to Mom and Dad just leave a comment!