Sleep standing up

This is how I found Knox the other night. Not quite standing up but on his feet, leaned over the bed and yes, very much asleep.

Crockpot Carnitas

OK I have been slackin' on posting good recipes but that is because I have been slackin' on trying new recipes. But my friend, Molly, made this for me and I had to have the recipe because it is soooo good.

2 - 3 lb pork roast
1 can rotel
2 cans El Pato tomato sauce (this is in a bright yellow 8 oz can in the Hispanic section of the grocery store)
1 tsp cumin
dash of garlic salt
1 can chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Dump all of the above in a crockpot (this is an exact science, folks). Set it on low and let it cook about 5 hours.
Then add a can of pinto beans. (This is optional)
Cook another hour
Then take roast out and shred it and add it all back to the pot and cook another hour or until you can't stand to smell it another minute without eating it. It will be soupy so either drain some of the liquid or use a slotted spoon.

This is a build your own taco sort of thing - serve with soft tortillas, cheese, sour cream, rice or whatever topping you want. I made a cilantro lime rice like they have at Chipotle:
Cook rice as directed then add chopped fresh cilantro and 2 caps of lime juice (again, exact science here).
This is such a yummy dish and would be great for a casual dinner party or for just yourself with lots of leftovers...hmmmmm!!!

Update: My friend gave me another great tip for this. If you don't want to eat all the leftovers immediantly you can put them in the freezer. Then the day you want them just dump the frozen block back into the crockpot and cook on low all day. She said by that night it will taste just as good as it did the first time...... Awesome!!

David Platt

Here is Matt and Dylan watching David Platt preach on Matt's computer. Dylan sat mesmerized for at least 10 minutes. Yep, Matt, he is yours...... And who knew David Platt could give Baby Einsteins a run for their money.

Mommy's Revenge

This is the story of my revenge on 2 little people in my house who thought they wanted brussels sprouts. At the ripe ages of 6 and 3, 2 of my kids think they know WAY more than Mommy knows. They got into their heads that they wanted brussels sprouts, undoubtedly from a cartoon they had watched (I mean didn't we all want spinach at one time or another because Popeye said it was good and would make us strong). So they started asking for brussels sprouts over and over and over and over..... you get the picture. I kept telling them that brussels sprouts were not good and that they would not like them. But NOOOOO, Mommy doesn't know anything and they insisted on having them. So I made them a deal. I buy you some brussels sprouts and if you like them I will buy more and if you don't then you NEVER talk about them again.

I WIN!!!!

Andover Park

This is the new Andover Park not far from our house. We actually had a nice cool day so we decided to head to the park for a picnic.

July

Sorry, not keeping up with this. Here are a few for the grandparents.

Do you like my hair? Bath time

Just Dylan

OK, the grandparents are getting restless and I am receiving complaints via email that I haven't posted anything in a while. Honestly, I haven't taken many pictures. I was told this would happen with the 3rd child. I will do better...... I vow.

Check out those cute FAT frog legs.

I know you can't hear him because this is not a video but he was talking up a storm and having such a good time doing it that I had to take his picture.

Hang in there grandparents..... we will be there in a little over a week.

Knox's To Do list for Today

Here is Knox's To Do list for Today:
1. Poop in pants in a public place
2. Say "Mommy" 100 times
3. Pull on curtain until I yank the curtain rod out of the wall
4. Drop plate of cut up pizza all over the den floor
5. Say "Mommy" another 100 times (just to be sure she heard me)
6. Poop in pants again (it's not my idea to get potty trained)
7. Pour Spaghetti-Os on the table and down my shirt
8. Pour water out of the tub and onto the floor
9. Spit in bathtub to make sister scream
10. Dump half the bottle of shampoo into the tub
*Mental Note - When in trouble, look at Mommy with big blue eyes and say "but Mommy, I still love you"

Even Superman can have a bad hair day

I promise I did nothing to his hair to make it stand up like this. He woke up Sunday morning and it was standing straight up. It was hilarious. When I asked him about it he said "my hair got tall".

2 Months Old

Dylan is 2 months old today. Time is really flying. Unfortunately for him we went for his 2 months check up and he had to get immunization shots. He also got weighed and measured. He weighed in at 12lb 15oz which puts him in the 79th percentile for weight. No surprise there. Emma Caroline didn't weigh that until she was 4 months. His length was 24.5 inches which puts him in the 93rd percentile. The pediatrician was impressed that he is already sleeping from 10pm to 6am. All I know is that it helps me feel so much more sane. All in all he is a big fella and still as sweet as can be.

This week at our house

It has just been a pretty normal week but here are a few highlights. Knox got to take a bath all by himself, a pretty big deal when you always have to share the space with your sister. He put on her goggles and began to "swim". It was just too cute for me to not snap a few pics. Matt reading a bedtime story to all of the kids. EC will take any excuse to hold Dylan. In case you are wondering, Matt and Knox are yelling "cheese".

I love these next 2 pics not just because they are of my sweet little one but because they were taken by Emma Caroline who just LOVES to take pictures. I never know what random pictures of the garbage can or a door that I might find on my camera if I leave it laying around. So I thought I would put that desire to good use and have her take some of Dylan. Here are a few.

Knox and Dylan

Just wanted to add a few pics for the grandparents and anyone else who do not get to see my kids as they grow. Here is the most recent angel face in our house. (I know, I sound like a mom) The first smile caught on camera.

My 2 sweet boys

This was not planned or asked for. Just a spontaneous kiss I happened to catch.

A busy week

The end of last week was pretty busy but a lot of fun. First, I got to attend a Mother's Day Tea at Emma Caroline's school. They sang for us and gave us gifts. They also served us our dessert. It was a sweet time. It also happened to be on my birthday. Then the following Saturday there was a Ladybug Luncheon at our church that Emma Caroline and I attended together. Here we are just before leaving to go.

Then on Mother's Day they had baby dedication. On top of all that my sweet husband has cooked and cleaned, taken me out, let me go out alone, watched the kids etc..... It was a great week. (and never have I posted so many pictures of myself. At least you know I'm still around)

Emma Caroline turns 6

Our sweet girl turned 6 at the end of April. She actually asked for the bat and balls and Daddy was thrilled. They have gotten out in the yard to hit a few times and she loves it. The same little girl who wanted the bat and ball loves everything girly. She got several barbies and lots of Hello Kitty things. She was thrilled with all of it.

We had a party for her and her friends at Pump it Up. I think they all had a great time.

EC and all of her friends after playing on the inflatables for and hour and a half. They were actually tired and ready for a break - Wow!!

I will probably say it every year but I can't believe how fast they grow. My baby is 6!! You are a sweet little girl, EC, and you have been a blessing to us. We love you!!

The Big Sister

I had no idea she would love him so much. But I sure am glad.

The New Sprinkler

EC and Knox got a new sprinkler from GeGe and DeDe who were here for a visit. We finally had some nice weather for them to try it out. It was a big hit, as you can see.

Random Dylan

This post is for all our famiy and friends who want more Dylan. Here he is. Is it so wrong for me to say that he is even cuter in person????

Easter

Yes, I know I'm a little behind here but hey, give me a break, I just had a baby.... Here are our Easter festivities. First, we decorated eggs, decorated egg cookies and made our traditional bunny cake. It was a fun and crazy day in my tiny kitchen. Let me start by saying how jealous I am of all my friends in B'ham sending me pics of their family outside in front of the blooming azaleas. First, we had a major blizzard 2 weeks before Easter so everything that was starting to bloom was killed. Second, we don't have azaleas in Wichita (tears tears). Third, it rained all day on Easter. Rather depressing. HOWEVER, my parents were here with us and we did get to spend the day with our Wichita family, the Tappans. We ate an amazing meal, thanks again Beth, and hung out watching the Masters on TV. The kids hunted eggs inside, which was just fine by them.

Boxer Dylan Redmond

I was taking some pictures of Dylan and happened to get this cute one. Looks like he's serious about boxing. I sure hope that is NOT in his future.