i know you, you know me.

recipe - mac n cheese, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

my family has a few die-hard recipes that we always go back to. i've never been a fan of mac n cheese. i admit it. my mom didn't make it all that often and i've never really liked cheese. and then once i found out that dairy and i are not bffs, well. cheese and i parted ways.

but then i found myself pregnant and able to eat cheese without any repercussions (gross, i know) and my sister's mac n cheese became my favorite.

her secret? using seasoned salt instead of regular table salt. i like to mix it up, so i use 1/2 tsp seasoned salt, and 1 tsp regular salt.

anyway, her recipe is hands-down the best recipe, and now i have friends calling me for it. so much that i typed up a pretty recipe card so i can give it to them and they'll hopefully save it and stop calling me. and i feel like i should share it with you, too.

what happened.

IMG_9046, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

taken at andrew's birthday party, my dear mr. o is pretending to grab my sisters, umm, boobie

what happened to my month of May? i envisioned beautiful days of playing with my boys and spending time crafting, baking, all kinds of things i love.

here's what happened. my sister found a lump in her breast and pretty soon she was calling me with the three little words I Have Cancer. scary stuff, except we don't feel too scared. should we? because we come from a family of strong women. strong women who have overcome lots of crap that cancer is only just another thing to add to the list. my sister is seriously amazing and has handled her first chemo treatment like a pro.

doctors appointments, tests, family in, family out, and i can safely say she and i are tired. my dear sister and i are here, together, and that's ok. we will find monotony in the routines, the procedures she is going to go through, because we will be together for it.

i have learned in life one lesson that has struck me in every difficult situation: i can get through anything with my sisters. i think she will agree with me 100%. i am here for her, always, just as she has been for me.

may day 4

may day 4, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

i love any opportunity to meet up with my sister for lunch. to be honest we do it more than we let on to our husbands. it is the perfect pick-me-up on one of those cloudy, miserable days.

she gave me her leftovers. these mini-burgers are seriously delicious. they might just be a large burger cut into small ones, but ohmyword there is something on them that makes them so yummy. i'll admit that leftover fries aren't my thing - they usually taste like cardboard. but that burger really hit the spot for me today.

may day 3.

may day 3, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

we're potty training. which means that this week - already at only the second day in - has been stressful. andrew is doing extremely well and i know he's ready for it.

of course, he loves to play with the water and is glad to sit on the potty if he gets to wash his hands afterward. surprisingly he's doing pretty well with it.

may day 2.

loving the swing., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

there's a park within walking distance. i'm trying to get more exercise, and the kids encourage me because they want to go to the park. thankfully there are swings, because then i have something to do with the baby. today was the most beautiful day, except very humid, and i made the mistake of wearing jeans. i won't do that again!

may day 1.

may day 1, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

we went to the beach today, may 1, to play in the sand. it was beautiful, the kids enjoyed it and we all got a cone on the way home.

andrew and i were the only ones brave enough to put our feet in the water.

may is such a lovely month. usually the rain has tapered off and we are able to enjoy the mornings out. its not too crisp but not too hot. there are the occasional hot days and the occasional cloudy ones, but overall its a great time of year.

i'm challenging myself to take a photo each day of may and post it here. not sure what it will be of, but i just want to take a picture of something from my day.

if they knew sweet little you, they'd end up loving you too.

mickey mouse garland, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

my little boy is 3. one of his favorite sayings is "i can hardly believe it!" and i'm going to steal it. i can hardly believe that he has grown into such a little boy. he is a toddler so every day is a learning experience, for the both of us. he's ahem, slowly learning to listen and sit still when he needs to. on some rare occasions he actually sits still and we are amazed. then we realize we've been thinking about it for too long and he is running out the door.

today chris installed those little lock things at the top of the door. you know, because andrew has learned how to unlock the door, open it, and open the screen door to go outside. one day i said something about going to the store and the next thing i knew, he was outside next to the car yelling for me.

he is super smart, and i say that just like every parent says that about their child. he amazes me with how much he remembers, some of the good stuff, like Bible songs and his alphabet and then the bad stuff, you know the kind he overhears that he shouldn't that i wouldn't put in print.

we celebrated his birthday with a mickey mouse birthday party. i sprained my ankle so i was limited with how much i could do, but my superheroes came to my rescue and helped out, and he really enjoyed his party. we did all that fun stuff - pinata, candy, even mickey mouse shaped rice krispie treats. (remind me never to do that again!)

happy birthday andrew. you are a sweetheart, and you make me better by being your mommy.

Andrew's 3rd Birthday
Originally uploaded by sassyladybug

how can i hurt when i'm with you.

4 tooths, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

easter sunday this poor baby was in the midst of suffering from 4 teeth coming through. all at once, all next to each other. i tried to put him in the church nursery and he bawled the entire time i was gone.

we overestimated his size and bought his easter outfit too big. this little guy - who will be 10 months on saturday - is quite a cute little peanut. so he ended up wearing a pair of tweedy dress pants that come with suspenders. he looked like someone from the cast of Oliver.

the suffering has ended - for now - and he's back to his happy self. no more of that sad, sad face.

it's never quite as it seems.

sleep, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

andrew naps in our bed every day, so that I can get both boys to nap at the same time. we tried putting them down for naps together once, and it was a cosmic fail. this way i can get things done while they both are sleeping.

sometimes he gets into our closets and then i glance in and find him asleep with his daddy's hat on.

i can't seem to keep up with blogging. life is just too busy. right now, my foot is slowly making its way back to normal sized. i fell in my driveway on sunday and sprained my ankle. anytime would be bad but this is really bad timing for me. andrew will be 3 on monday and we are planning a party for saturday.

what is most important? what will i remember later on? i try to think of that when i want to take a nap instead of pushing myself to complete tasks. and i'm thinking of that alot right now while i'm stuck on the couch, resting my ankle.

oh like a rainbow.

tie dye paper, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

my sister watched my two little birds so that i could run an errand. since her kids were sort of sick she had them with her, and when i got home i decided we were going to craft.

the directions for this is very simple. most of you will have the items on hand at home.

we made tie-dyed paper. you need shaving cream, food coloring, white paper, and a 9x13 baking dish.

now, if we were doing this without the kids, sara and i would have all sorts of amazing designs. but with the kids, we got some pretty funky looking mix of all the colors. you cover the bottom of your 9x13 with shaving cream, then sprinkle on your food coloring. use a comb or any other device you have on hand to create swirls of color amidst the shaving cream. mix too much and you'll get, well, what we got at the end... brown looking paper. place your white paper on top, lightly press down, and then lift it up. rinse it off in the sink, until all the shaving cream is gone. let it air dry and you have some pretty paper to write a letter to your favorite aunt. which is what i requested of my niece and nephew, and i have yet to see it, by the way. hint, hint.

please sir don't you walk away.

I think he was sad his balloon didn't float, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

march is a rough month. it goes from a few happy days to a sad day.

chris and i both celebrated birthdays and then a few days later we remember the day that his dad died.

it is so hard to support my husband because i can't understand how he feels.

he misses his dad so much.

he tells me that he just wants to be there for our boys like his dad was for him.

it is sad but he knows that his dad is in a better place.

and for me, having a birthday near my husbands means that even if he doesn't get me a cake, i can make one for him and then i get to eat cake for my birthday. and if we go out to eat for my birthday, and then go out for his birthday, it is like second birthday. and i'm good with that.

i can see clearly now the rain is gone.

andrew's eye surgery was this past friday. i admit that it has taken a lot out of all of us. chris and i spent most of last week worrying about it, anticipating it, and then we spent this week keeping andrew's hands from his eyes and dealing with some very bad behavior. we can only assume that his behavior has something to do with recovering, but needless to say, it is still very difficult.

playing, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

the doctor was fixing a turn in both his eyes. you can see the turn above. we've worked with dialating drops and patches to get his eyes to a point where both were turning - so that the doctor could easily adjust the muscles.

before hand - driving around, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

we were a bit worried about an IV, blood draw, etc. the staff was unbelievable. after we got him changed into his adorable kid-surgery jammies, (and awesome yellow socks), he was able to play in a special kid-waiting room. and when he needed to go to another room so they could check his blood pressure and have mama sign some more paperwork? they allowed him to drive down the halls.

quick cuddles, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

they whisked him away pretty quickly. i know that they do this for the kids - because kids will get upset if they know in advance that they are leaving mom and dad - but man, was i taken off guard. the nurse ran off with him so quickly that i had to ask her to turn around so that i could give him a kiss.

coming out of the anesthesia, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

in the end, all was well. apparently most kids come out of anesthesia screaming and crying, and andrew was no different. we spent a good hour cuddling, trying to get him to drink some juice (he wanted milk, nothing else), until he was able to converse with us a little and watch mickey mouse youtube videos on the ipod.

not too big a fan of blood or things medical, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

of course we are never complete without a little drama. when we were preparing to leave, chris was holding andrew as they took the IV out. andrew fought it which made some blood come out of the place where the IV had been. and before we knew it, chris had fainted. really, unbelievable. i had to apologize to him because i have often doubted his truthfulness when he says all the medical shows on tv make him lightheaded.

surgeon costume, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

you can see the redness in his eyes, and now it is really starting to fade. the doctor says we are in very good shape and that he likely won't need a repeat surgery. he is healing and hopefully, his behavior will improve.

thankfully we are past this step. now if i could only keep chris from fainting, i'd be made in the shade...

make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch.

made to match, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

i may try but i do not have much skills when it comes to sewing. i mean, i can hold my own... i actually sewed andrew's halloween costume this year, but by no means can i make the things my mom has. i recently asked my mom how to do something related to sewing and she told me, "you're a smart girl, you'll figure it out." well, sometimes smarts do not help at all when you are seriously challenged.

andrew's windows remained bare until his first birthday party. i was embarrassed and we bought some of the cheapie plastic blinds from walmart (which have proved to be a poor purchase, evidenced by the pictures of the curtains - andrew has attacked them many times.) i made a trip to a fabulous fabric store and found fabric that perfectly matched the border on the wall and our paint color. i bought enough for the curtains and my mom quickly sewed them up in time for the party.

fast forward, what, almost a year, and i wanted to get more fabric for a cover for the bumper. i wanted something updated for our new baby. a second baby never gets much that is new and all his own, so i liked the idea of sprucing things up. surprise, surprise... the fabric store didn't have any more of the fabric, but after scanning the curtain to the shop owner, i knew the maker and name of the fabric. i was able to order some online and find some matching colors that i hadn't seen before.

and so, my mom has sewn me a cover for the bumper. with coordinating ties in orange and yellow. i am in love with this bumper. and christian loves laughing and pulling the side down to peek at his brother in the other bed.

new bumper, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

which is stinking adorable. except when mama is taking a pic.

talk about movin'.

love, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

andrew is at that age where staying home all day, every day, means lots of boredom. the beautiful weather of fall, spring and summer spoil him. he loves being outside and going places.

he is also at that age where craft projects are not the easiest thing to do. he gets frustrated, and i get frustrated, and we wake up his baby brother with our LOUD frustration. needless to say, our days indoors are spent doing lots of puzzles and reading.

we go to target or the mall, mostly for the entertainment purpose, and to tire out my little guy. staying inside the house doesn't give him the opportunity to burn off enough energy.

so every day, when i get him dressed, he asks me where we are going. some days the answer is simply that we are not going anywhere. this never pleased him because he wants to hear that we are going somewhere, even if it is just to the grocery store. and so i started telling him we were going to funky town, just to get him to be quiet.

the only bad thing is that now he keeps asking about monkey town, (his translation), and i have no answer but... let's do another puzzle.

this is how it goes.

this is how it goes, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

this is what typically happens when i try to take a picture of the boys. lots of movement, lots of grabbing - which used to be andrew, but now, christian has an affinity for reaching out and taking anything in his near vicinity, specifically, andrew's glasses. there is lots of crying, lots of smiles, lots of mommy's voice getting louder-Louder-LOUDER, encouraging them to just look at me. christian has a great focus, and so it is usually andrew that looks away.

and for sitting still - there is usually a treat afterwards. for mama, too.

my love is strong enough.

earflap hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

christian needed a hat. one of my biggest regrets, maybe a silly one, is that i never knit andrew a hat when he was a baby. i had aspirations to do so and my knitting skills weren't as good as they are now, and i never got it done. truthfully, i was working full time up until the day before he was born, so i did not have a lot of time.

earflap hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

however, i was determined to change that for christian.

i really loved knitting this double-stranded - it made for a thicker, firmer hat with the wool. one of my biggest pet peeves about ear flap hats is that the ear flaps don't stay down, and they curl. because the ear flaps are done in garter stitch, they stay nice and flat. just ignore the knitting jargon and act like you know what i'm talking about.

earflap hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

brown bear baby hat, or plain old ear flap hat, as i like to call it.
knit on size 8 dpns
Lion brand fisherman wool

free pattern can be found through ravelry

come and give me your hand I'll take you far away.

key elements to a perfect afternoon:

-freshly popped popcorn (on the stove, not the microwave kind)
-my version of an arnold palmer - iced tea to increase breastmilk with a touch of lemonade... surprisingly good
-children playing nicely and watching word world before nap time
-freshly folded laundry waiting to be put away, so that i can enjoy a clean living room during nap time
-the sun shining in through my window.

what makes you feel peaceful?

little blessings.

hannah's hat, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

my sister jenn just had a baby girl. i had big aspirations that i would get some large knitting projects completed by the time her girl would arrive, but that definitely didn't happen. so, last minute, i decided to whip up a little hat for her baby girl, so atleast she had something knitted special just-for-her right away. i'll get to work on the rest of the project later on.

this is the most simple, easy baby hat ever, but every time, people are impressed with it.

umbilical cord hat
knitted on size 6 dpns, using paton's classic wool merino in woodrose heather. (fancy name for pink.)

family pic, minus 1.

family pic (minus 1), originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

i have been chastised enough for not blogging. here i am, making an attempt.

christmas passed by like a whirlwind, but it was an amazing end to 2009. we served christmas dinner at our house, and celebrated with different parts of our family several times, making the christmas celebration a month full of food and gifts. which is not too bad, in my opinion.

what's up for my family in 2010? hopefully lots of new adventures, and living life in the moment. my desire is to live the life i want as it is happening, and not look too far into the future for the things i want or wish to be. i want to eliminate alot of wasted time and cherish the moments i have my with my family.

what's new for you in this new year?