Most Useful Kitchen Tools

After an entire season of holiday baking, I feel inclined to clue you in on some of the most useful kitchen tools I've acquired from my wedding registry and elsewhere. Here goes...

• Calphalon One Non-Stick Cookware: I have used dozens of different brands and types of cookware - and this stuff is by far the best! It's expensive...but well worth the money. Aaron and I got a 10-piece set and it's all guaranteed under a lifetime warranty. We originally bought the Calphalon stainless steel set and HATED it (because everything stuck to it and the pans became discolored)...so we exchanged it for the non-stick cookware and now we'll never use anything else.
  
• Calphalon Contemporary 17-Piece Knife Block Set: Great knives are essential. The 17-piece set we have comes with 8 steak knives, 7 specialty knives, kitchen shears, and a sharpener. It's nice to not have to saw at meat or vegetables with dull knives anymore.
  
• CorningWare and Pyrex: You can never have too much of this stuff! Each set comes with a variety of sizes of dishes & lids and can be used for many different purposes: casseroles, mixing bowls, condiment dishes, baking dishes, storage for leftovers...and the list goes on and on.
  
• Excellent Everyday Dinnerware: Aaron and I registered for Everyday White dinnerware from Bed Bath & Beyond. Each piece is porcelain, heavy, and durable. White is great because I can have a variety of accent plates for different occasions and seasons. White is so classic!
  
• Cookie Scoops: With all of the baking magazines I've been reading lately, I was bound to run across some new kitchen tools to make life easier. Cookie scoops are just like ice cream scoops - except smaller. One you've mixed up the cookie batter, use the scoop to shape the batter and drop it onto the cookie sheet. Scooping the cookies ensures that they will be the same size and bake evenly. There are 2 sizes to choose from: small (2 teaspoons of dough) and medium (1.5 tablespoons of dough). I use the medium scoop for cookies and the small scoop for truffles.
  
• Parchment Paper: I wish I would have discovered it years ago. My cookie sheets always get ruined by non-stick baking spray (it leaves behind a sticky residue that is impossible to remove). All you have to do is place the parchment paper on a cookie sheet, put cookie dough on the parchment paper, and bake as usual. The same sheet of parchment paper can be used for the entire batch of cookies! Clean-up is as simple as throwing the sheet of paper away and putting the cookie sheet back into the cabinet. WARNING: Parchment paper and wax paper are NOT the same product. When I was 12 years old, I decided I'd put wax paper onto a cookie sheet to make clean-up quicker. Bad idea. In less than 3 minutes, the entire kitchen was full of smoke and the wax paper had melted to the baking sheet. And my cookies were ruined. Oops.
  

I hope my list of most useful kitchen tools helps you! I'd love to hear what your most useful kitchen tools are :)

Here's to Wonderful Friends...

Aaron and I have the best friends in the entire world.

We invited 3 of Aaron's old roommates (Mani, Robert, and Julian) over to exchange late Christmas gifts and have dinner tonight. Even though they've been Aaron's friends for years longer than they've been my friends, they love me just as much as they love Aaron. They might even love me a little more because I can cook. Juuuuust kidding.

But seriously...I love our friends for so many reasons. They would do anything for us at any hour of the day. They hang out with us even when we sit around and do nothing. They don't hesitate to ask us for help or favors. They're always extremely grateful for my cooking and baking skills. They love Aaron even when he antagonizes their German Shepard with an empty wrapping paper tube. They even know us well enough to get Aaron computer stuff and me baking stuff for Christmas.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like without wonderful friends...and then I stop wondering because it's kinda depressing. Let me just take a moment to thank all of our wonderful friends from high school, college, Elevation, small group, work, and anywhere else we may have met you. Aaron and I are incredibly thankful for your friendship and unconditional love. We love you so much.

My Favorite Holiday Recipes!

Here are some of my favorite recipes from this holiday season! They're great to make all year 'round...so give 'em a try when you're in the mood to bake!

Doubly Decadent Truffles
(from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications: CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Chill: 3 hours 10 minutes

14 oz. premium dark baking chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. amaretto liquor
10 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp. shortening
2 oz. premium dark baking chocolate, melted

1. Microwave 14 ounces premium dark chocolate, cream, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on 50% power (medium) for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until mixture is melted and smooth, stirring 3 times during cooking. Stir in liquor. Cover and chill mixture for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until almost firm.


2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Shape chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls using a 1-inch scoop; place balls on prepared baking sheet (mixture will be sticky; balls will be irregularly shaped). Chill about 1 hour or until firm.


3. Microwave milk cocolate and shortening in a medium microwave-safe bowl on 50% power for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth, stirring twice. Dip balls, one at a time, into melted chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place truffles on baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill about 30 minutes or until set.


4. Place 2 ounces of melted premium dark chocolate in a resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag. Drizzle chocolate over truffles in a crisscross design. Chill truffles about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set. Makes about 48.

• TO STORE: Place truffles in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 1 month. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

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Chex Muddy Buddies
(from the back of the Chex box!)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 15 minutes

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
9 cups Chex cereal (I usually do half Rice Chex, half Corn Chex)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (make sure there are no lumps in the sugar!)

1. In a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.


2. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.


3. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.


4. Pour into 2-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.

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Chocolate White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
(from Paula Deen's Holiday Baking 2007)

1 (12 oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 (11 oz.) package white chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.


2. In a medium bowl, combine semisweet chocolate morsels and butter. Microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth (about 1 1/2 minutes total). Let cool 5 minutes.


3. In a large bowl, beat sugar and eggs at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Gradually beat in cooled chocolate mixture until combined.


4. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in white chocolate morsels and macadamia nuts. Cover dough with heavy-duty plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.


5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and bake, in batches, for 15 minutes. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

• Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

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Ooey Gooey S'more Bars
(from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications: CHRISTMAS COOKIES)

Prep: 20 minutes
Stand: 1 hour

Nonstick cooking spray
1 10 1/2 oz. package tiny marshmallows (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup butter, cut up
1 tsp. vanilla
5 cups Golden Grahams or Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
2 cups tiny marshmallows
3/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set baking pan aside. Lightly coat wooden spoon and large microwave-safe bowl with cooking spray.


2. Combine the 10 1/2-ounce package marshmallows and the butter in the prepared bowl. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth and melted, stirring twice with the prepared spoon. Stir in vanilla. Gradually stir in cereal until mixture is well combined. Stir in 2 cups marshmallows and the peanuts until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cocolate chips.


3. Press mixture evenly in prepared pan using the back of the wooden spoon (coat spoon with more cooking spray as needed). Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cocolate pieces. Lightly press cocolate pieces down with the spoon. Let stand 1 hour or until set. Cut into bars. Makes 24.

• TO STORE: Place bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Little Wheezy

Christmas at the Fowlers was great...except for the part where I caught a cold on Sunday and was sick the entire time I was there. Oh well. If there's any kind of sickness going around, you can bet I'll catch it.

I was feeling much better after work today and decided to go for a 2-mile run. That was a bad idea. Aaron has been calling me "Little Wheezy" all evening. Honestly, I've never been one to wheeze...but between trying to get rid of a cold, battling killer allergies, and the MOLD growing in the vent system in our apartment, I'm not really surprised I've begun to wheeze. Maybe I should have my lungs checked out...

Anyway...Christmas was wonderful! Although Christmas is NOT about the gifts we receive, I did get some really cool stuff:

• Sean and Tonia gave Aaron and me 12 glass bottles of Jones Pure Cane Soda (Strawberry Lime flavor) with our wedding picture on the labels! The soda is special because it's made in Washington state where they're originally from. I don't have any idea how the soda tastes because I can't bring myself to open the beautiful bottle!
• Aaron's parents gave me a new pair of Asics running shoes! I've needed a new pair of running shoes for a long time...and I haven't worn another pair since I got them!
• We got lots of ornaments for our future Christmas trees. As a newly married couple, we didn't have any of our own ornaments with memories attached...but now we do! When our kids are decorating the tree 10 years from now, we'll be able to tell them the story that goes along with each one :)
• My parents gave me an embroidered CITADEL hoodie! I love supporting my brother and his school...so I can never have too much Citadel paraphernalia.

I got lots more stuff, but those are just a few of the highlights. More than getting gifts, I like to GIVE gifts.

• Since Sean and Tonia are such coffee junkies [Sean is actually a coffee snob :) ], I made them some dark chocolate biscotti to go with their coffee. It was my first attempt at making biscotti, and it didn't come out half bad if I may say so myself.
• Aaron and I gave our parents some really neat photo albums from the wedding using a website called mypublisher. The books were absolutely gorgeous and exactly what I had imagined. I think our moms have already shown the books to everyone they know. No, seriously.
• I stole one of Paula Deen's ideas and made "Cookie Mix in a Jar" and "Brownie Mix in a Jar". They were a huge hit with all of my girlfriends because all they had to do was dump the mix out of the Mason jar into a bowl, add butter and eggs, stir, pour into a dish, and bake! And the layered ingredients looked really cute in the jar with a ribbon tied around the top :)
• I think I baked stuff for Aaron to take to work every day last week. Baked goods are a wonderful gift because it's something I put my time and effort into...and at this point in my life, time and effort are extremely valuable to me.

Well, I think it's time to let my husband drive my wheezy self to the Harris Teeter to get some chicken noodle soup. Mmmmmm...

T'was the Night Before Christmas...

House hunting on Wednesday went well. Really well. We think we've found the house we want to buy! Aaron and I are hoping to make a decision by the end of this week. We'll keep you posted!

Aaron and I had a great weekend with my family! My parents, Bryn, and Tiffany came to stay with us in our two-bedroom, 1000 square foot apartment. I had no clue how we'd make it work, but we did!

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was cooking dinner with my mom on Saturday night. They brought 10 pounds of fresh shrimp from Charleston and we made my mom's famous shrimp and rice. At one point I got a little frustrated because our kitchen is so tiny. There was nowhere to put all of the food and we kept running into each other. My mom reminded me that sometimes the fun part of stuff is working with what you have. Thanks, Mama!

On Sunday we went to Christmas @ Cricket! Elevation Church and Newbirth Charlotte joined together for an incredible sevice at Cricket Arena. Aaron ran the computer and sound for the E-kids production in Ovens Auditorium and they ended up having over 500 children in attendance! Over 5,000 people attended the main service! It was an awesome day...

Aaron and I arrived in Simpsonville last night to spend a few days with his family. We brought Hobbes with us and he spent the first 24 hours hiding behind the couch in the TV room. He has just decided to come out in the past 20 minutes. Hopefully he'll eat some food and be a little more playful for the rest of our visit.

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas tomorrow! Remember what the day is really about...not presents or food or Santa...but Jesus and miracle of His birth.

House-Hunting Day #1

Soooo...Aaron and I went house-hunting yesterday with our friend (and agent) Eric! It was a lot of fun to walk into a house that could potentially be ours in the future, but it was also stressful for me to see everything that needed to be done to make that house a "home". Although we've already been pre-approved for a mortgage, I'm still really nervous about making such a huge investment. When something leaks or breaks or goes awry in our future house, we can't just call the landlord to come fix it. Owning a home is a big responsibility but I'm sure the benefits will greatly outweigh the downfalls.

We viewed 3 houses in Charlotte yesterday, only 1 of which was a real possibility. We liked that one, but it was a bit smaller than we were hoping for. It was, however in an awesome location. Food, shopping, friends, and church were either across the street, down the street, or less than 5 minutes away. Maybe we could sacrifice space for more convenience and less travel time...

We had also hoped to view 2 houses Eric had sent us in online listings for Fort Mill. Since he needs to take care of some paperwork in order to show us those houses (because they're in South Carolina instead of North Carolina), we weren't able to go inside those homes yesterday...but Aaron and I did a quick drive-by after we finished with Eric. One of the houses was really tiny, but the other one was a gem (from the outside, at least). The Fort Mill house has a lot more space for just about the same price as the homes we were looking at in Charlotte...and the yard is ideal for us. We called Eric immediately and asked him how soon he could get us in there. We're going to look at it tomorrow at 12:40pm. Aaron and I are about to burst with excitement and anxiety.

I think Eric could sense that I was getting a bit overwhelmed yesterday...not because we weren't seeing houses we loved...but because I'm a habitual worrier. I'm always thinking, "What if?" or "How can we possibly make this happen?" You know what? We won't make it happen. But God will. If Aaron and I are meant to buy a house in the near future, everything will go smoothly and work out just fine. I can't let Satan creep into my head and ruin a process that's supposed to be lots of fun for Aaron and me.

I asked Eric if looking at houses was like trying on wedding dresses. I don't know if he could relate, but I think he knew what I meant :) Will I know immediately when I walk into the house that it's the one we want to buy? Will I have the we-must-buy-this-house-now-or-I-think-I-might-die attitude? He says it doesn't always work like that. But he's never tried on wedding dresses, either. We'll see when we go to the Fort Mill house tomorrow.

Thanks, Eric, for taking time on your BIRTHDAY yesterday to show Aaron and me a few houses! We think you're awesome at what you do and we really value your time, opinion, and skills. It means a lot to us that you're looking out for our best interests and guiding us through this process we know nothing about! You rock :)

I got a lot done on my day off yesterday. I wrapped some presents, cleaned the apartment, did some baking, treated myself to a manicure and pedicure, house-hunted, baked some more, and hung out with my husband. Pretty good day if I may say so myself :)

Potty Training and House Hunting

I've been waiting to announce this exciting bit of news because I didn't want to jinx the process...but SAM IS POTTY TRAINED! Woohoo! I'm excited. Can you tell?

We've been working to get Sam potty trained since I started working in September (and I'm sure his parents were working on it before that). He never seemed to care that all of his friends and classmates were potty trained. When I told him that I didn't know any 3-year-olds who still wore diapers, he said, "Oh! Well...I'm almost 4!"

Precisely my point.

Sam's 4th birthday was on December 11th. When Liz began planning his party about a month ago, Sam informed her that "Mrs. Allison doesn't know any 4-year-olds who aren't potty trained...so I'll be potty trained when I'm 4." I was a bit skeptical to be quite honest.

I thought some Spongebob underwear might help the process along...so Aaron and I bought Sam some for his birthday . When he opened them, he said, "Oh, Mrs. Allison! These Spongebob underwear make me so happy!"

Sam decided that the day after his birthday party was the time to start wearing underwear...and he's done great ever since. He no longer puts up a fight when I tell him to go potty. He's able to "hold it" if we're in the car and can't get to a potty immediately. He even wakes up from his nap with dry underwear!

While we're on the subject of potties and bodily functions, I have a funny story. Sam was sitting on the potty yesterday when all of a sudden he passed gas. Very loudly. He looked at me with a straight face and said, "Mrs. Allison...my bottom is just like Thomas the train. It says, 'Chugga chugga TOOT! TOOOOOOT! GAS! GAS!'"

Where do kids come up with this stuff?

Not only little boys find it amusing to talk about passing gas. The entire male population thinks it's funny. Including my husband. And all of his co-workers and friends.

Last night Aaron and I were lying in bed and I was telling him that funny story about Sam on the potty yesterday. He laughed hysterically. Then he told me a story about a co-worker who passed gas in his cubicle yesterday (it was so bad that his female boss eventually had to evacuate the room). He could barely talk he was laughing so hard. I laughed at him laughing. I asked him why the subject of passing gas was so funny and he gave me a list:

1. It makes a funny noise
2. It makes a funny smell
3. It's just funny

Thanks, Babe, for that extensive and well thought-out list. I'll be sure to remember it.

Switching gears a bit, Aaron and I have begun the process of searching for a house to buy! We've been pre-approved for a mortgage, met with our friend Eric who's a real-estate agent, and are going to look at a few houses tomorrow. We're so excited!

Since I need to be off Wednesday afternoon to look at houses, I'm taking the entire day off to get some last-minute Christmas stuff done, too. I need to:

• finish straightening up the apartment so Mama, Daddy, Buddy, and Tiff can come stay with us this weekend
• wrap some presents so we'll have something under the tree
• do a crazy amount of baking
• treat myself to a manicure/pedicure :) (I haven't had one in almost 3 months!)

Please pray that Aaron and I are able to figure out what's really important to us in a house. We have lots of dreams about what we would like, but we really need to focus on what's right for us at this point in our lives. My mom said it perfectly when she told me, "The right house is out there for you. You just have to be patient and search until you find it."

Patience. That's something I've learned a lot about lately. I was patient with Sam's potty training and you see how well that turned out. Patience in the house-hunting process will turn out well, too, I hope.

Decorating the Tree...

Our tree is so cute! Aaron and I put the lights on and decorated it when we got home from work. Yes, the tree was still standing...but there were many more tree needles on the floor :/

Hobbes acted completely uninterested in the tree when we were around:

When Aaron began to taunt him with ornaments, he became a little more interested:

Here are some of the ornaments we put on the tree:

This is our first Hallmark ornament (and my personal favorite!):

We're not quite finished decorating the tree yet, but here's what it looks like so far:

Buying Our First Christmas Tree!

Aaron and I bought our first Christmas tree last night! We've been so excited about having our own tree and the wonderful smell that comes along with it. I met him at the tree lot in Rock Hill last night after work and I'm pretty sure I had a goofy grin on my face the entire time. We had so much fun! Since we don't have a lot of room in our apartment (and we didn't want to spend a ton of money on a tree we'll throw out in a few weeks), he and I decided that we'd get a "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree this year...and it's the cutest tree I've ever seen!

After we purchased our tree, put it in the back of Aaron's 4-Runner (yes, the entire tree fit inside his truck), we went to Target to buy our first Christmas tree ornaments! Target always makes me happy, but Target at Christmas time is the best. My favorite color has always been blue...and I've always wanted a blue and silver Christmas tree. Aaron helped me pick out the most beautiful ornaments in the most beautiful shades of blue (he's so good at that stuff!). Next we got some white lights (Aaron's only requirement for our tree), a tree stand, a tree skirt, and some ribbon to wrap around the tree (his parents' tradition). We couldn't find ornament hooks anywhere...so we went to Michael's craft store and CVS to get some...but they didn't have any, either. I can always count on Walgreens, however, to come to my rescue. By the time we got home, put the tree in the stand, "discussed" where we would put the tree (my choice won!), and rearranged the furniture, neither of us felt like decorating. Plus, Aaron left his stellar collection of Christmas music at work...and we can't decorate our first Christmas tree without Christmas music! So tonight after work we're going to decorate...and I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post a picture with tomorrow's blog :)

When Aaron and I woke up this morning, we walked into the living room to look at our tree...and saw a BIG mess courtesy of Hobbes. He must have stayed up all night playing with the tree limbs because a bazillion Christmas tree needles were strewn EVERYWHERE. He even had them stuck to his little pink nose! I told Aaron to look at the bright side: at least the tree was still standing! "Yeah, he replied. "It's still standing, but the tree will be completely bald by next week if Hobbes doesn't leave it alone!" Hmmm...this is very true. Hopefully we still have an upright tree with needles attached when we get home to decorate it tonight. I have a feeling we'll be facing a new battle when we actually get ornaments on the tree. I'll keep you posted.

I hope everyone's getting into the Christmas spirit! Only 13 more days!

Day 2 with the half-dozen:

Day 2 of babysitting the half-dozen was a bit more difficult than day 1...mainly because Aaron was there. The mood is different when he's around. He doesn't purposely make it more difficult, but the kids seemed to go bonkers when he's around. Go figure.

Aaron and I took the kids to Elevation this morning. They went to E-kids while we went to the service together. He and I hardly ever get to sit together or go to the same service anymore because of our crazy volunteer schedules, so it was nice to be with him. It sorta felt like we were on a date :)

After church, Aaron helped me get the kids to the car. As we were trekking across the parking lot, I said to Aaron, "I feel like the Hubatkas right now!"

"Who are the Hubatkas?" Matthew (the ll-year-old) asked.

"They're good friends of ours who have lots of kids," Aaron said. "They have 4 girls."

"That's not a lot!" retorted Bradley (the 5-year-old). "We have 6 kids!"

Aaron and I laughed.

All in all, we had a great weekend with the munchkins. I loved watching Aaron with them and it makes me look forward to being a mommy to our babies (sometime in the distant future!). Mary Beth and Kurt are going away again in March...and I hope they'll invite us over for another weekend :)

Day 1 with the half-dozen:

Day 1 of the weekend babysitting job is almost over...and it's been a wonderful 24 hours. The children have been so cooperative, helpful, and loving! The only sad thing about today is that Aaron couldn't be with us. He's on-call for work this weekend and stayed at our place last night so he didn't have to drive 45 minutes to work this morning. He worked all day and should be here soon...

After one day with the kids, I've learned that:
I'm Annaliese's (2) new best friend, Bradley (5) and Rebbekah (almost 8) always argue over who gets to sit next to me on the couch when we watch Christmas movies, Matthew (11) is my biggest helper who keeps the house spotless (without me asking), and Ashleigh (13) is the great big sister who keeps everyone in line.

When I tucked the older girls into bed last night, I asked them who would be the first one awake this morning. I guessed Annaliese, but they assured me that she would sleep in. Oh, how I wish that were true.

My day began at 6am when I heard the sound of Annaliese coughing through the baby monitor. She has a little cold, so I figured her medicine from the night before had worn off. After a few minutes of constant coughing, I decided to get up and give her another dose of cough medicine. She gratefully drank it (evidently it tastes like "bubbledum!") and I thought she'd go back to sleep. It was 6am, after all.

I crawled back into bed but couldn't fall asleep again. Her coughing persisted. After about 20 minutes she got quiet and I thought she was asleep...until I heard this little ditty through the monitor (translation in parenthasis):

God ow fada, (God our Father)
God ow fada, (God our Father)
Wonce agin (Once again)
Wonce agin (Once again)
Tank you fo ow bessings, (Thank you for our blessings)
Tank you fo ow bessings, (Thank you for our blessings)
Aaaaaaaamen! (Amen)
Aaaaaaaamen! (Amen)

I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard. I wished Aaron was with me so he could get a taste of what I experience everyday. He has experience with children and he's great with them, but I feel like he never gets to experience the silly little things they do that make me love them so much. Maybe Annaliese will wake us up with another cute song in the morning. At 9am this time.

Aaron just got here...and he's already the new favorite babysitter. When Bradley showed Aaron that he lost a tooth yesterday (yes, I was the "tooth fairy" last night!), Aaron asked him how much money he got.

"A whole dollar!" exclaimed Brad.

"Ooooh," said Aaron. "What are you going to buy with your dollar?"

"I dunno," said Brad.

"Well, if I got a dollar from the tooth fairy, I'd buy candy," Aaron said. "You see," he explained, "if you eat candy, then your teeth will rot and fall out and you'll get MORE money!"

Only my husband would think of a plan like that.

"Don't listen to a word he says," I said quickly. "He's just kidding." Then I shot him the evil eye. Having children with this man is going to be one of the most fun/challenging/fulfilling/exhausting adventures of my life. I can't wait! Well, actually, I can wait a few more years...but you know what I mean :)

The kids are in the other room asking Aaron a million questions, so I'm off to poke fun. I'm anxious to see what tomorrow brings...

Weekend Babysitting Gig

Aaron and I have a fun-filled weekend ahead of us. Well...I think so, anyway.

Our friends Mary Beth and Kurt have asked Aaron and me to babysit their children from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening so they can go out of town for a little alone time just in time for Kurt's birthday . No big deal, you're thinking. That'll be fun.

Well...what if I told you that Aaron and I will be responsible for 6 children this weekend? That's right. Six.

When I first mentioned the idea to Aaron, I knew what he would say.

"What?" he said in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"

I was right.

After a bit of coaxing and reassurance, Aaron gave in to my plan. I assured him that these children are not like most other children. They're extremely obedient, almost completely self-sufficient (except for maybe the 3- and 5-year-olds) and so incredibly sweet. It'll be a piece of cake. I think.

After 10+ years of childcare experience, I'm pretty sure I've seen it all...and I'm positive that Mary Beth and Kurt's kids are some of the best around. I am a little nervous, however, that after a full week of Sam and Toby I may be a little frazzled when Monday comes around again and I haven't had a break from children.

Toby is usually laid-back and low-maintenance, but he caught the "whiny bug" sometime last week and hasn't gotten it out of his system yet. I play with him, feed him, give him milk, put him down for a nap, drive him around in the car, take him to fun places to play with Sam, but his whining only seems to cease for 5 minutes at a time. The only time he's completely quiet is when he's watching Sesame Street (thank you, Lord, for Sesame Street!). Liz thinks he's getting into that stage where separation anxiety is an issue (and I totally agree). Please pray that I can continue to practice patience in the next week and a half. My tank is already on low and it's only Tuesday.

Sam has been doing better with remembering that things don't always go our way and hasn't thrown a fit getting into our out of the car at school in a few weeks. He has also been keeping his pull-up dry in the past few days...so he's made some great progress lately. Today I was thinking back to when I first started watching Sam and Toby - and Sam has grown by leaps and bounds. I'm very proud of the changes he's made in his daily attitude and demeanor. I think we understand each other pretty well now.

Anyway...Aaron and I will stay with the kids this weekend and I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure I'll have lots of great stories to share!

Sesame Street and a Princess

I was looking at my bridal portraits on the computer yesterday afternoon and reminiscing about my wedding when Sam walked up next to me. This is the picture he saw:

"Ms. Allison!" he exclaimed. "You're a PRINCESS!"

"I sure did feel like a princess on my wedding day," I said.

I don't think Sam has ever seen me dressed in anything but workout clothes or jeans and a t-shirt. I'm so thankful that I have such wonderful photographs to remind me of the best day of my life :)

On another note...let me just say that the creator of Sesame Street is a genius. I watched Sesame Street 20 years ago - and Toby is watching it now. The best part about it is that it's educational. It's one of the only shows that captures Toby's full attention and makes Sam verbally respond to questions asked by the characters. Yay for Sesame Street!

Special Purposes

After Sam and Toby awoke from their naps today, Sam decided that he wanted a sugar cookie for snack. As we were sitting at the kitchen table eating, he looked right at me (with green sprinkles and icing on his lips) and said, "Ms. Allison, I have a special purpose!"

Oh Lord, I thought to myself. Here it comes. Another message from You to me via almost-four-year-old Sam. He must have learned at school today that everyone has a special purpose in life.

"What's your special purpose, Sam?" I asked him, curious as to what he would say.

"My special purpose it to have the choice to be good," he said.

"Oh," I said. "Well I'm glad you chose to be good today."

"Yeah," he said. And then I knew what would come next.

"Ms. Allison," he said with an inquisitive look on his face. "What's your special purpose?"

In that moment, I knew the Lord was sending me some encouragement. It's tough to give so much of myself all the time...and I've been feeling a little worn out lately. Sometimes I give so much and don't take time to refuel. Sometimes it's easy to forget what my special purpose is.

"Well, Sam," I said. "I have many special purposes...but one of them is to take care of children like you and Toby."

"Oh, yeah," he said. "I'm glad that's your special purpose!"

"Me too," I said.

What's your special purpose? Where does the passion in your heart come from? What talents has the Lord blessed you with? Where does He want you to use them?

Thanks for rocking my world daily, God. If this is how you use Sam, I can't wait to hear what Toby has to say when he starts talking!

Elevation Playgroup

Playgroups are SO marvelous. Not only do Sam and Toby get to play with other children, but I get to have conversations with someone other than a 3-year-old and see lots of children I absolutely love! I must admit...I feel a bit funny at first going to playgroup with a bunch of moms (because I'm "the nanny")...but all of the Elevation moms are so sweet and welcoming. Thanks for inviting us, ladies!

Aaron went home from work today with a sore throat. I'm usually the one who's sick...so it'll be nice to get to take care of him for once. Hopefully some medicine, sleep, chicken noodle soup, and lots of love will make him better soon.

Pineapple Pumpkin Bread!

Here's that Pineapple Pumpkin Bread recipie I promised a few days ago. I'm actually eating the last piece of the 2 loaves I made last week. It's good stuff.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine flour and next 7 ingredients. Add eggs and oil; beat well. Stir in pumpkin, pineapple, and pecans. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

(Oh...and I just bought 2 more holiday baking magazines that are totally devoted to cookie recipies! Aaron and I are going to be broke by the end of the holiday season...not because we'll buy gifts for our friends and family...but because we'll feed my baking addiction. Hmm...)

The Mist

So...Aaron and I just got home from our date to the movies. But he had to go back because he just realized he left his favorite hat in the theater. I'm still trying to process the movie we just saw.

Aaron and I went to see The Mist tonight. When I read the preview on Fandango I thought it sounded pretty stupid. However, after we watched the movie trailer online I changed my mind. It's a movie based on a Steven King novel...and Steven Spielberg directed it...so there's no way it could be dumb, right? Well let me tell you - it definitely wasn't dumb - but the ending is so incredibly disturbing that I may not be able to sleep tonight. It wasn't disturbing in a scary way (although I jumped quite a few times throughout the movie)...it was disturbing in a I-can't-believe-someone-could-really-come-up-with-a-story-that-screwed-up-in-the-end kind of way. I was so stunned at the ending that my body went completely numb. My mouth gaped open. The theater was completely silent. I almost felt like I had witnessed something I shouldn't have. You'll have to see it to understand what I mean.

As we walked back to the car, Aaron made a really good point. No matter how messed-up the end of a movie is or how much I wanted it to end happily, it's almost always that ending that makes the movie so great. The Mist was an excellent movie...disturbing ending and all.

Now I'm going to try to get some sleep...

Thanksgiving with the Alexanders

Our trip to Charleston for Thanksgiving was short...but sweet :) We spent most of yesterday with extended family that we haven't seen in a while (well...since the wedding!).

I'd have to say that the most entertaining guest we had at the house yesterday was my 3-year-old cousin, Hayes. He has a "thing" for ladies. And by "thing," I mean doesn't want to play with anyone but a female. I don't get to see him all that much anymore because Aaron and I live in Rock Hill, but he spends quite a bit of time with my mom, Rhonda (Ant Rona), and my brother's girlfriend, Tiffany. My brother was sitting on Tiffany's lap yesterday and Hayes wanted her to go in "da ba-yad" (the backyard) and "pway foobaw" (play football) with him. My brother pretended to be sleeping...so Hayes pulled on his arm and said, "Moo, boy!" (move, boy). We cracked up every 30 seconds at something silly he would say.

At one point, I walked outside where Bryn, Tiffany, and Hayes were throwing the baseball and Bryn kept saying, "What?...What?" Evidently Hayes was trying to tell Bryn something and Bryn couldn't understand him. Hayes repeated himself again and I understood what he was saying the first time. "My baebaw bat at gwanday howse, Brwn!"

"His baseball bat is at Granddaddy's house, Bryn!" I said. "Oh," he replied. "You're good." I should be...with 10 years of experience in translating toddler talk.

Aaron is working today...and I'm off. While I'm grateful for the break, I wish Aaron could be off today too. I had lunch (Thanksgiving leftovers!) with him a little while ago and he mentioned something about going on a date to see a movie tonight. That means I need to get a little nap in before he gets home so I can stay awake in the theater (it's a long story...another blog entirely).

Even though Thanksgiving is over and you're probably sick of Pumkin stuff, my next post will be the recipe for Pineapple Pumpkin Bread. It's Paula Deen's recipe...and it rocks.

Thanksgiving

Liz and Sam had a conversation about Thanksgiving this morning while I was making Pancakes for the boys. Here's how it went:

Liz: Sam, where are we going tonight?
Sam: To see Grandma Dianne and Grandpa Dan!
Liz: And what day is tomorrow?
Sam: THANKSGIVING!
Liz: And what is Thanksgiving all about?
Sam: Eating food and going to people's houses where we don't live and singing the Thanksgiving Song!
Liz: Well, yes...but Thanksgiving is also about taking time out to give thanks for everything and everyone in our lives.
Sam: It's not good for us to take a time out.
Liz: Not that kind of time out...

Aaron and I are going to Charleston this afternoon to spend Thanksgiving with my family. We haven't seen my parents in a few months - so we're looking forward to spending the holiday with them. I LOVE Thanksgiving because I get to cook and bake with my mom, see all of my family that I haven't seen all year, and eat INCREDIBLE food. Perhaps the part of Thanksgiving I'm looking forward to most this year is spending it with my husband :) We've never been able to spend Thanksgiving day or Christmas day together because we've been with our parents...but now we're our own family...and we'll never have to spend another holiday apart.

Here are a few things I'm thankful for this year:

• Aaron
• God's guidance in our lives
• Pastor Steven Furtick and Elevation Church (and our awesome small-group)
• Wonderful parents (and in-laws!)
• Our cat, Hobbes :)
• Great friends
• A heart of generosity
• A wonderful job!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope tomorrow finds you safe and happy with your family and friends :)

Results of the Cleaning Spree...

I know you're all wondering: How did the cleaning spree go?

It took ALL DAY...but it went wonderfully! Aaron and I woke up at 10am on Saturday, I made breakfast (cinnamon rolls!), and then the organizing began. We started with doing 8 (that's right, 8) loads of laundry at the clubhouse. Then we organized the living room (where the rest of our wedding gifts were piled), moved to our bedroom, and finally tackled the dreaded guest room. I actually had more stuff in boxes in the apartment than I thought I did. Oops.

From the start of the day, I was on a mission to organize. Aaron was on a mission, however, to help me "relax" by playing with everything we were supposed to be organizing. Among the many interesting things we found while cleaning were about a bazillion unused water balloons from Aaron's crazy college days. He took 2 of the "water bombs," filled them up, and drug me outside to play. That's one of the many reasons why we're so great for each other. He's really good at reminding me that life doesn't always have to be so serious and I don't always have to be on a mission of some sort. I love you, Seet Pea.

Aaron did a great job at throwing away unnecessary boxes (with some encouragement from me) and we were able to free up a lot of space. We also hung some art on the walls - so the apartment feels a little more like home how. We're still pretty cramped in a 2-bedroom apartment...but we'll have to make it work for a little while longer.

Aaron and I had a wonderful time with Bryn and Tiffany this weekend! We went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner on Saturday night and Elevation on Sunday...but didn't do much else. It was probably good for all of us to take some time to rest since none of us seem to do much of that anymore.

Here's a picture of Bryn and Aaron dueling at the Sharper Image store on Saturday night while we were waiting for our table at the Cheesecake Factory:

Aaron's Response:

Here's the e-mail I got from Aaron after he read this morning's blog:

What kind of blog was that. When do I take time to go through all of that crap? I don't miss it, and I'll throw it away.
Love you.

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH :) His concise little e-mails always make me smile. Apparently he's not a pack rat anymore. We'll see...

Pack Rats and A Cleaning Spree

Oh, my. Aaron and I have a HUGE task ahead of us in the next few days. My brother and his girlfriend are coming to stay with us on Saturday night...and our apartment is not ready for them. We have stuff EVERYWHERE...and most of it is wedding stuff that we have nowhere to put. So you know what that means? We get to throw out all of the junk that Aaron hasn't used since I've known him!

Aaron did a WONDERFUL job of making sure the apartment was spotless before he left to go to Charleston for our wedding in September. He even made the internet wireless so we didn't have to trip over cables in the middle of the floor anymore! When we came home from our honeymoon, the apartment didn't look anything like the bachelor pad it was before I left 2 weeks earlier. But that only lasted for less than 24 hours. Ever since our wedding gifts were piled into the living room the following day, the apartment has never been the same.

I thought I was a pack rat...but Aaron is a million times worse than me. When I first met Aaron more than 4 years ago, he kept old receipts in a box under his bed (or in the drawer of his desk...or in his wallet...or in his car...or anywhere else they would end up). Now, I'm not talking about receipts for big purchases - I'm talking about receipts from restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, and stuff that could never be returned. I broke him of the receipt habit 2 years ago, but we've still got some work to do. I swear that there are storage containers in our guest room that are full of stuff I've never seen Aaron use. The worst space hogs in our apartment, however, are the empty boxes from video game consoles, cameras, electronic equipment, and computer stuff. For some reason, Aaron feels the need to keep them. Sorry, Babe...but those are going in the trash tomorrow :)

Now I must admit, I do have stuff in our apartment that I use infrequently...but it's important stuff. Examples: tupperware containers FULL of craft supplies, photography equipment and negatives from the past 10 years, and...well, that's about it (excluding the wedding gifts we have no place to put yet!).

I'm glad that Aaron lets me go on my cleaning sprees to organize all of his stuff because, believe it or not, he HATES it when I clean without him being there. I think he's afraid that I'll throw away something important. My theory is: if he doesn't even know it's missing, then it wasn't important. To this day, I've never cleaned out the desk drawers, closet, bookcase, or mile-high stack of mail and had him ask me, "Where's ________ (fill in the blank)?" And I've thrown away A LOT of stuff :)

As we were lying in bed last night (after our date to Panera and the $2 movie theater to see Ratatouille!), I revealed to him a little something that I threw away when he moved out of his first apartment. We laughed, and he was like, "You're so proud of yourself right now." I sure was :)

Please pray that our cleaning spree (beginning tomorrow after work) goes smoothly and quickly. And without any arguments :)

Grace

Sam pitched a fit when I picked him up from school today. He has a certain routine he likes to follow when getting into the car (like getting in with NO HELP, buckling the top part of his car seat BY HIMSELF, etc...). In the past few weeks, I've helped him understand that things don't always go your way and it's okay to let someone help you. When we're in the carpool line at school, drop-off and pick-up can go one of two ways depending on what mood Sam is in or how tired he is; it can be a very good experience or a very very bad one. Today's pick-up was bad. He was yelling at the teacher, crying uncontrollably, and trying to keep her from buckling him into his car seat. I had planned on taking the boys to Joseph Beth Bookstore to play with the train set after school, but Sam's behavior nixed that idea. He also knows that when his behavior is unacceptable, he doesn't get to watch TV for the rest of the day when I'm with him. When we got home, Sam went straight to his room and, of course, fell asleep. He awoke an hour-and-a-half later with a better attitude...and a SOAKED mattress. Grrrrr...

After changing his pull-up and clothes, playing by himself for a bit, eating a snack, drawing a picture for me and "Mr. Aaron" to put on our refrigerator, and taking a bath, Sam looked at me and said, "Ms. Allison...my brain told me to tell you sorry for having a fit in the car today. Can I watch TV now?"

Was he apologizing for the fit because he was sincere or because he wanted to watch TV? Hmm...

"Sam," I said. "Thank you for apologizing."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Do you understand that when you say 'I'm sorry' it means that you'll work on not having a fit again?" I asked him.

"Yes," he said. "I'll work on it."

"Do you think you deserve to watch TV after your behavior today?" I asked.

"No," he replied.

Hmm...that was the right answer.

"Well," I said. "You might not deserve to watch TV right now, but Ms. Allison is going to practice grace. Do you know what grace is?"

"That's a girl in my class," he answered.

I explained what grace was and turned on the TV for him. He may not completely understand it, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to introduce the idea to him. God speaks to me every day through these children and I'm so grateful for it. Every time I try to teach Sam a lesson, one gets thrown right back at me. God is awesome.

I'm going on a date with my handsome husband tonight! I think we're going to dinner and a movie :) Honestly, I don't care what we do as long as I get to be with him. I can't wait!

Writer's Block

I've been experiencing writer's block lately. Every time I sit down to blog, I can't think of anything to write about (shocking, I know). I wanted to blog yesterday about how ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE Dominate Sunday was...but I couldn't (and still can't) find the right words to express it. Do you ever feel that when you try to describe the way you feel about something or an experience you had, you completely devalue the entire thing? That's how I feel about the service under the tent this past Sunday. So I'll stop trying to tell you about it and just say that it was beyond words. Check out the sermon online. Oh...and you MUST check out the video on Holly Furtick's blog from yesterday. Click on the link that says "Elijah." It'll make you smile :)

Today the boys and I went to the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in the city. On the second Tuesday of every month there are craft activities for preschoolers to participate in. Today's theme was "Yarnapalooza." Sam made a door hanger with yarn all over it. Sounds cool, doesn't it? After the Mint Museum, we went to the park with lots of Elevation moms and kids. Thanks, Tonia, for letting me know about the play group! Sam had a BLAST with Cooper :)

I can't wait until this weekend! Bryn and Tiffany are coming to town...and we're hoping that we can give them a nice vacation from school and pamper them before exams begin! My brother deserves the world...and I can't wait to see him :)

I guess that's all for now. Not very interesting, I know. Maybe tomorrow Sam and I will have a noteworthy conversation on the way to school. Maybe Toby will get into more trouble courtesy of his new-found ability to walk. I'll let you know.

Change Your Attitude...

Sam and I had a tough time together this week. I've been teaching him that for inappropriate behavior (you know... tantrums, talking back to me, not listening, bad attitudes) there are consequences. When he starts to get into that mood where he's about to throw a fit, I tell him to change his attitude or ________ (insert consequence). On Wednesday he threw a fit because he didn't want to turn the TV off. So...I told him he needed to spend some time alone in his room and he woudn't be able to watch TV for the rest of the day while I was there. He went to his room, fell asleep, and awoke in a much better mood. A little later he said, "Ms. Allison. I changed my attitude. So that means I get to watch TV now." I said, "No, Sam. Even though you changed your behavior, you still have to deal with the consequences of your actions."

As soon as I explained that little tidbit to Sam, my own actions and their consequences popped into mind. Thanks, God. Way to keep me humble and remind me to heed my own warnings. That's not really what I was going for, but thanks for reminding me. See? God uses even the smallest and most simple little people to teach us (or remind us of) stuff. God rocks.

Liz was helping Sam put on his pull-up when she got home from work today (the boys had just gotten out of the bath) and Sam began to throw a fit. Liz spoke to him in a firm tone. He looked at her and said, "Mommy, I think you need to change your attitude."

I tried not to laugh.

Fire and Whining

If you haven't checked out "Sam's Thanksgiving Song" from yesterday's blog, you MUST see it! I was having some problems getting it to play yesterday and last night...but it seems to be up and running as of this morning. Let me know what you think!

You'll never believe what I saw on my way to work this morning. I was sitting at a red light on Celanese Road in Rock Hill (sipping my Spiced Chai Tea) when all of a sudden I heard what sounded like an explosion. It wasn't a huge explosion, but I definitely felt my car move. Then I smelled something burning. As I looked around trying to figure out what was repeatedly exploding, I noticed that the truck in front of me was spewing flames from its underside. It was one of those white pickup trucks that spelled "Reading" on the tailgate and it had shovels and rakes and stuff in the back. I kinda started freaking out...and I don't think anyone else could see the flames. It looked like he had a blow torch under the truck. The flames would burst out from underneath, roar for 5 to 10 seconds or so, and then go away. We sat at the stoplight for about 2 minutes and the flames kept coming and going...and they lasted longer and longer each time. I was convinced that the truck was going to burst into flames and I would be trapped in my car to die at the mercy of one of my greatest fears: fire. By the time the light turned green, there was black smoke everywhere. And the guy in the truck was just as calm as a cucumber. I wanted to drive up next to him and let him know that his truck might explode at any moment, but I couldn't catch up to him. I hope he's okay.

On another note, Toby is becoming such a big boy! He has changed tremendously in the past 2 months and it's fun to watch him grow. It's not fun, however, to listen to him whine. I don't know if it's because he may be teething, just wants attention 24/7, or if it's a stage he's going through. It's probably all 3. Hopefully the whining will cease soon...because he's liable to drive me nuts if it doesn't.

Our friends Ben and Jessica are getting married 4 months from today! I took their engagement pictures (with the help of the wonderful Sean Lyon) last week. Check it out:

Check out the rest of their engagement photos at Lyonpictures.com (the password is "Hamilton"). Enjoy!

Sam's Thanksgiving Song

This is one of the cutest things I've ever heard! Sam came home singing it on Friday...and I had to share it. I hope it puts a smile on your face :)

Hey Aaron - I made this entire video by myself! I shot it, uploaded it to the computer, edited it, and uploaded it to the website. Aren't you just SO PROUD of me? :) I love you, my Computer Nerd!

His Righteousness Endures Forever...

I got an e-mail from my brother yesterday...and he's coming to stay with Aaron and me next weekend! For those of you who don't know, my brother attends college at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. On top of the adjustments that normal college freshmen have to make, my brother has to deal with military training, constant physical training, and being yelled at 24/7. It's an extremely difficult school...but he's doing GREAT. We're SO PROUD of him!

(Isn't he so handsome?!)

Anyway, Aaron and I haven't gotten to spend any quality time with Bryn and his girlfriend, Tiffany, since the summer...so we're so stoked that they are coming to be our house guests. I guess that means we have to clean all of the wedding junk off of the 2 twin guest beds so they'll have a place to sleep. Hmmm...

Bryn is really excited about coming back to Elevation to worship and listen to Pastor preach. I mailed him an Elevation Live CD to listen to at school and he says he's been listening to it a lot. I've seen Bryn's faith grow tremendously since he's been at the Citadel and he's been such an encouragement to me. I love you, Buddy!

I can't wait until Sunday! November 11th is DOMINATE Sunday...and it's gonna be awesome. Instead of the normal 5 services on Sunday morning, we're only having one service - and all 2500 Elevators will be under a heated tent on the Providence High School football field. The leaders of Elevation have already committed to give 3.2 million dollars to the Dominate Campaign (way to step up leaders!) - and we can't wait to see what the rest of the congregation will commit to give! God is so much bigger than the fund-raising consultants who told us it would be a miracle to raise 3 million dollars in 3 years. God is so much bigger than Satan who will surely try to attack us in this season of growth and generosity. God is SO much bigger.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, 'HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.' Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God." -- 2 Corinthians 9:8-11

Conversations with a 3-year-old

Sam and I have some very interesting conversations in the car. Here's the conversation he and I had on the way to school this past Friday:

Sam: "Miss Allison, how come Mommy and Daddy go to work but you don't?"
Me: "I do go to work, Sam. You and Toby are my work."
Sam: "No...I mean...Why don't you go to REAL work?"
Me: "Taking care of you and Toby is REAL work. I make sure you're always safe and take you to fun places and play with you and take good care of you.
Sam: "Yeah."

I love how children speak their minds about what many adults think but never say. Lots of people think I don't have a REAL job. Guess what. I do. I get a little bothered when people think my job isn't important or "real" because I don't think they realize how truly difficult it is. I challenge you to spend a few days in the shoes of a nanny or "stay-at-home-parent." Raising children has to be one of the most important and rewarding careers EVER. I'm not saying you have to stay at home to raise your children to the best of your ability (both of my parents had a career and I turned out okay!), but I think it's very important for children to have excellent guidance and dependable role models to look up to. Thanks to all of the moms and dads (and nannies!) who are raising the next generation to be responsible, honest, caring, God-loving individuals. You rock.

Here's the conversation Sam and I had on the way to school this morning:

Sam: "Miss Allison, did you know that marry is a BIG BIG party?"
Me: "What?"
Sam: "Being marry is a BIG BIG party!"
Me: "Do you mean that being married is a big party?"
Sam: "Yeah!"
Me: "Who told you that?"
Sam: "Mrs. Paine (one of his teachers at school)."
Me: "Being married is a big party. Most of the time."
Sam: "Yeah."

I love being married! Dealing with finances and grown-up stuff isn't always so fun, but as long as I have Aaron to journey through life with it'll be a BIG BIG party, for sure. I love you, Baby! Thanks for always encouraging me and challenging me to be a better person day after day. You're the BEST leader, and I nub u lots.

Mobile Toby

This morning when I was getting the boys' picnic lunch ready (we're going to picnic storytime at ImaginOn today!) I heard Sam talking in the TV room. I couldn't quite hear him, but it sounded like he was saying the same thing over and over. I stopped what I was doing and listened. Sam was saying, "No, Toby! Don't play in the toilet! No, Toby! Don't play in the toilet!"

"Great," I said to myself. I had just gotten them dressed and I was pretty sure that Toby was probably covered in toilet water. I turned the corner to see Sam tugging on Toby's left arm while his right arm splashed the water in the toilet bowl.

I'm not sure that I like the new mobile stage Toby has entered in the past few days. Right now I have him restrained on the bouncy horse he got from his Grandma Barb and Grandpa Gary (thanks!) and he's loving it. However, I'm sure he will get bored in 2 minutes and want out so he can get into something else.

Hobbes the Troublemaker

Aaron and I have a cat named Hobbes (you know, like Calvin & Hobbes; Aaron is Calvin and Hobbes is, well, Hobbes). He's a long-haired orange tabby and is just over a year old. He has brought so much happiness and laughter to us and we love him like he's our child. He has so much personality, is incredibly loving, and usually well-behaved.

(this is Hobbes at Christmas last year)

Recently, however, he has started getting into trouble during the day while Aaron and I are away at work. About a week ago, I came home to our fresh flowers (thanks, Jess and Ben!) dumped onto the floor along with the water and vase. The next day, Aaron came home to two overturned glasses of water on the coffee table (I've actually witnessed him put his ENTIRE head inside of a glass in an attempt to drink water out of it...even though he had plenty of water in his water dish). The next morning, I caught Hobbes on the kitchen counter (I'd never actually seen him up there before) and before I could swat at him, he scampered off and took Aaron's "Tree Man" with him. It crashed into 10 pieces. Aaron's "Tree Man" is special to him because it's an incense burner we bought from the Renaissance Festival last year. I must admit, it was pretty cool-looking. Anyway, we disciplined Hobbes after each incident, but he's still being rebellious. I hope I don't go home to a broken candy dish or ripped up paper today. I guess we should be more careful about what we leave on the tables and counters. Maybe Hobbes should be more careful about what his little paws get him into when he's home alone...

Sam and Toby are going Trick-or-Treating tonight...and they're gonna be "Friendly Dragons" (as Sam calls them). Here's a picture:

Dear God,

Aaron sent me this e-mail today...and it's so cute! There were a lot more, but these were a few of our favorites. I hope they make you smile!

Brownie Surprise Cupcakes!

Here it is - The recipe for Brownie Surprise Cupcakes (from Better Homes and Gardens' Holiday Baking magazine)!

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 22 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees F

Ingredients:
1 21-oz. package fudge brownie mix (I always use Betty Crocker's Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix)
15 miniature-size candy bars (I used a mixture of Milky Way, Snickers, and 3Musketeers)
Canned vanilla frosting
Seasonal sprinkles

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line fifteen regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups (I use the foil ones). Prepare the fudge brownie mix according to package directions. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the batter into each baking cup. Place one miniature-size candy bar in each cup. Divide remaining batter among the cups.
2. Bake in a preheated oven for 22 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack. Cupcakes may dip slightly in center. Frost with vanilla frosting and, if desired, sprinkle with decorative candies. Makes 15 cupcakes.

They're so easy (and soooo yummy)! Enjoy :)

"Old Greg" and A Birthday Cake

Remember the "Chocolate Creme de Menthe" cake I made Aaron for his birthday? It was A LOT of work. Now, I absolutely LOVE baking...but that cake made me wonder why I love baking so much. While Aaron was out skateboarding (the skateboard was his birthday gift from me) with some of his co-workers on Friday, I decided that I'd start to make the cake. I put on some comfy clothes, turned up the new Justin Timberlake CD on iTunes, and went for it. Here's a list of what went wrong:

• I didn't get the stand mixer I wanted from our wedding registry, so I used a small hand-mixer to combine the ingredients. Usually the hand-mixer works great for everything I bake, but a cake of this complexity needed something more. I ended up getting chocolate cake batter all over everything in our tiny kitchen.
• Who sifts the dry ingredients that go into a cake? I mean, I understand the difference it makes in the end...but I don't think the creators of these recipes understand how truly ANNOYING it is. Maybe the mistake was when I put all 3 and a half cups of flour and 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder into the sifter at one time. Maybe the mistake was registering for the wrong sifter. Whatever it was, it took more than 30 minutes (and lots of forearm strength) to get the dry ingredients sifted. I made a bigger mess sifting than I did mixing.
• After the cakes were baked and cooled a bit, I took them out of the pans and laid them on paper towels on the counter to continue cooling. When they were completely cooled, I intended to pick them up and place them on the cake plate to frost the inner layers. Guess what? I broke the first layer in half. Yep. I wasn't happy. By this time, Aaron was home and all he could do was laugh. "It's okay," he insisted. "Just put that one on the bottom and no one will ever know." He's so smart.
  
• I wanted to wait until the next day to frost the outside of the cake, so we put the dome over the cake plate to protect it from our cat, Hobbes. The dome was too shallow to fit over a 3-layer cake. The top layer of chocolate cake ended up all over the underside of the cake dome. Aaron put plastic wrap over the cake and covered it with a big plastic mixing bowl so we could go to bed. It looked silly, let me tell you.
• When I attempted to frost the outside of the cake the next day, it was extremely difficult (perhaps because the frosting had a total of 1 pound of butter in it). It took me 45 minutes to frost the cake.

The cake ended up looking beautiful...but I was so tired of it by the time we got it to the party that I think I took one bite of Aaron's piece and was done. I enjoyed baking Aaron's birthday cake because it was special, but it'll probably be a while before I attempt a cake like that again.

Speaking of the party...remember how on Friday afternoon Aaron still hadn't decided what he was going to be for that Halloween party on Saturday night? Well, when he came home from skateboarding on Friday night he'd had a revelation. He would be "Old Greg." I know what you're thinking. "Who's 'Old Greg'?"

Aaron and his buddies at work watch this British sitcom called "The Mighty Boosh." I can't stand British humor, so I never watch the show. In one of the episodes there's a character named "Old Greg" who is half man and half fish. Not to mention he has seaweed for hair, has hideous makeup on his face, wears green tights, a tutu, and white cowboy boots. Aaron and I spent a lot of time on Saturday visiting every thrift store in Rock Hill (and good ol' Walmart) in an effort to find the perfect "Old Greg" ensemble. By the end of the day, the only parts of the costume we were lacking were the most important parts: the green tights (which we probably could have found at Target if we'd had enough time), the tutu (the dance store in Rock Hill was closed by the time we got there) and the white cowboy boots (we found the PERFECT pair on clearance at Rack Room for $6 but they they only had a size 8). Aaron decided that instead of abandoning the entire idea, he would just wear jeans and be "Old Greg" from the waist up. It was a lot of fun searching for Aaron's costume but by the end of the process we were both exhausted. We got ready, showed up at the party, and Aaron's costume was definitely a hit. EVERYONE knew who he was. I think I was the only one at the party who didn't like the show. Who cares. I was married to "Old Greg" for the evening. I made him take off the costume as soon as we got home. It creeped me out. I'll try to round up a photo to post on the blog.

Sam has a Halloween party at school tomorrow...so that means Sam and Ms. Allison get to bake Brownie Surprise cupcakes today! I'll post the recipe later today.

Hmmm...now that I've written a novel, it's time for the boys and me to go to the bookstore. Sam wants to go play with the trains and castles at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Southpark Mall. That means I get to look through a few more holiday baking magazines before I decide if they're good enough to buy.

Potty Talk

The conversation I just had with Sam while he was using the potty:
Me: Sam, I've very proud of you for going to the potty.
Sam: I'm suuuure you are. But I love you, Ms. Awison.
Me: Oh, I love you too, Sam.
Sam: But one day I didn't love you.
Me: Oh really? When was that?
Sam: I don't know.

We're having a WONDERFUL day :) Off to the park we go to enjoy the beautiful outdoors...

DOMINATE!

Wow. What a weekend! Let me just begin by saying that Aaron and I love Elevation Church tremendously and feel so blessed that we have the opportunity to give to the Dominate campaign. For those of you who don't know what it is, click on the link and check out the details. Last night was the leadership commitment service at Butler High School...and let me tell you...God was there and it was INTENSE. As a newly married couple, Aaron and I have really contemplated and wrestled with God about what we should give to this capital campaign for the next 2 years (above the 10 percent of our incomes we already tithe to Elevation each month). Aaron's faith always seems to be greater than mine...and when I threw out the dollar amount I felt God putting on my heart, he challenged us by increasing the amount by 25 percent. We have all of these dreams of paying off credit cards, buying a house, moving to Charlotte, and traveling (among many other things) but we know that God has called us to be generous with what He has given us. My prayer is that Aaron and I can always keep our hands open to God...because all we have is His anyway. As easy as it is to say all of the wonderful things about being generous with our time and money, I'm sure it will still be hard sometimes to give it away without thinking about where else that money could be used. I truly believe that if we are faithful with what God has given us, He will multiply our sacrifices and return them to us many times over. God will always provide for us. I'm comforted when I think about how many lives God has changed because of Elevation Church...and I'm POSITIVE that our money will be used to grow His kingdom. Thank you, Lord, for challenging Aaron and me as husband and wife and for Aaron being the leader you've called him to be. I pray for my husband as he continues to lead us each day down the path You've made for us. Help us to keep our hands and hearts open to You.

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch you tent curtain wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. -- Isaiah 54:2-4

Carseats and Creme de Menthe

I don't like the rain...but I know we need it desperately. I do, however, love wearing my polka dot rain boots. So I guess that means I kinda like the rain.

Now that Toby is 20 pounds, he gets to sit in a forward-facing car seat!

As you can see, he's ecstatic. Today was the first day he actually got to see what goes on outside the car because the rear-facing seat he sat in before faced him towards the back seat...and was extremely boring, I'm sure. Toby used to get really fussy when I'd drop Sam off at school because he wouldn't have anyone or anything to look at. When I put him in his new car seat this morning, he lit up. He "talked" and pointed all the way to school. Time in the car with Toby is a lot more pleasant now :)

On another note, I've been thinking about all of the ways I can make Aaron's 24th birthday more special than the previous 23. While I do have a few ideas in mind, baking is a big part of what I've been planning. I saw this recipe for a "Chocolate Creme de Menthe Cake" in Paula Deen's Holiday Baking magazine and have been planning for weeks to make it for Aaron's birthday (chocolate and mint is one of his favorite combinations...next to chocolate and banana). I was planning on making it last night so he could take it to work and share it with his co-workers today (even though his birthday isn't until Saturday) but, of course, my plan was foiled by an ingredient I couldn't find at the grocery store. I definitely thought that creme de menthe was something like vanilla extract. So imagine Aaron and me walking up and down the baking aisle looking at ALL of the spices and extracts...unable to find the mysterious creme de menthe. So after 15 minutes of searching, I had the idea to call Robert (Aaron's oldest friend/old roommate/co-worker) to google it and tell us where we could find it. No googling necessary. Robert informed us that creme de menthe is a liquor. And guess what. The liquor store had been closed for 3 hours by the time we began to look for it. Why do people bake with liquor? I never have understood that. Since I refused to bake the cake without the most flavorful ingredient, Aaron took "Brownie Surprise Cupcakes" to work today instead (from my second favorite baking magazine called Holiday Baking by Better Homes and Gardens). And, yes, the cupcakes were topped with Halloween sprinkles :) I'm baking the Creme de Menthe cake tonight (after I go by the liquor store) for the Halloween costume party we're going to tomorrow. Aaron still doesn't know what he's going to dress up as. He's managed to shoot down every one of my ideas thus far...so I told him to use his creative mind to come up with his own ideas. I'll let you know how the cake and Aaron's costume turn out.

It's bath time for the boys...so I'm going to round them up. Thanks for those of you who left comments and e-mails about the blog! I'm excited to have readers!

Picnic Storytime

So today I took the boys to ImaginOn for "picnic storytime." If you haven't been, ImaginOn is the coolest kids' library I've ever seen. They have thousands of children's books, dozens of computers, a round room built especially for story time, a beautiful theater built for the community to enjoy plays, and many other neat things to explore. Check it out sometime. Your kids will LOVE it. And it's FREE.

Anyway..."picnic storytime" is geared towards 3-5 year olds (although there are always a few younger siblings there, too). There were lots of kids at story time today...14, I think. A story-teller from the library brings lots of cute books and music for the kids to enjoy. The kids can bring their lunch and eat while they listen to stories. Great idea, huh? Well, today the story-teller read a book called "What Do You See?" As soon as Sam saw the book, he yelled, "HEY! I used to read that book at my old school!" A little embarrassed, I lean in and tell him to listen. As the librarian began to read, Sam knew the answer to every question before she even asked it. He would yell, "CAT!" before she could turn the page to reveal a black cat on the next page. "PIG! DOG! COW!" he continued. Everyone thought he was the cutest kid ever. And I'm glad they thought he was cute instead of annoying.

Toby is napping and Sam is having "Sam time" right now. That's what we call his after-lunch time on Tuesdays and Thursdays so Ms. Allison can have a break and Sam can have an opportunity to fall asleep if he feels the need. It's very quiet in the other room. I should go see what he's doing.

Tantrums and Potties

Sam is at school and Toby is napping. Ahhh...a little quiet time for me.

Sam has been behaving exceptionally well this week. I think we're finally getting used to each other and he knows where his boundaries are with me. For the first month or so he would throw tempter-tantrums several times a day because he didn't get his way or I didn't do things the way Mommy and Daddy did them. As tough as it was (and still is) to deal with his tantrums, I just have to stand my ground and not give in to him. Thankfully, the tantrums have become fewer with each passing day. Each day before I leave to go home I'll ask Sam: "What are we going to work on and do better tomorrow?" Lately his answer has been: "Not throwing fits and going to the potty." Bingo. The "not throwing fits" part is going well. The "going to the potty" part...not so well. At least he goes when I ask him to go now; but he still won't go on his own or at school. We've tried stickers, candy, high-fives...but nothing seems to stick long enough to make him want to go on the potty all the time. We'll keep working on it.

Aaron's birthday is on Saturday and we're going to a party at his co-worker's house. It's a costume party...so I'm dressing up as a bumble bee. He doesn't know what he's going to be yet. I told him he should be the "Birthday Boy." He said "Oh yeah! I'll go in my birthday suit!" I said, "Haha. Very funny."

Trying something new...

So I've never really understood the whole "blogging craze" that's been going on for the past few years...but now that I'm married, have a full-time job and am settling into a routine, I've realized that I really miss journaling and writing...a lot. Even if no one reads my blog, it will be nice to get these thoughts out of my head and into cyberspace. My wonderful husband, Aaron, is the BEST listener to all of my long, drawn out stories about the goings-on of my day...but I know that sometimes I bog him down with way too many insignificant details and stories during his day at work and when he gets home. So here you go, Love. You can read about my days sometimes instead of listening to me talk for hours :)

I am a full-time childcare provider for a family in Charlotte, NC and absolutely LOVE it. Yes, I went to college for 3 and a half years to get a degree in History...and now I'm a Nanny. I promised myself that I would never be one of those people who hated going to work everyday...and that's what happened with my first job right out of college. I realized 5 months in that the job wasn't a good fit for me. So, with the support of Aaron and my family, I quit. I took the next few months to pray as well as search myself and the career field to figure out what it was that I really wanted to do. I also spent that time planning the Alexander-Fowler wedding :) As much as I hated not having a job because I felt like a complete bum, I really enjoyed having that time to plan the most important day of my life to date. I searched and prayed...prayed and searched...but nothing full-time became available to me. Thanks to all of you at Elevation who kept me busy babysitting because if it wasn't for you, I'm not sure how I would have spent my time and kept sane!

The week before my wedding I was contacted by a lady whose ad I had answered several months before on Craigslist. She and her family were moving from Oklahoma City to Charlotte for her job and she needed someone to take care of her boys during the day. A few days later I met Liz, her husband Mike, and their two boys Toby (who just turned 1 a few weeks ago) and Sam (who will be 4 in December). I was offered the job later that week and I graciously accepted. I started working the week after Aaron and I returned from our honeymoon. After working with the boys for only 5 weeks so far, I feel like I'm already becoming a part of the family. I've made a year commitment to Liz and her family and I can't wait to watch the boys grow and change.

I think it's so important for people, especially young adults just out of college, to take time to search themselves and figure out what it is they really want to do in life. What makes you happy? What's fun for you? More than just figuring out what I wanted to do, I felt it was important to consider what I felt God wanted me to do with this season of my life. I don't have to choose a career path right this second. I didn't have to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life by the time I graduated college. I didn't even have to get a job in the history field just because I majored in it. But I thought I did. After a few months of prayer and reflection, I knew that I needed a job with purpose. A job that makes a difference in the lives of others. A job that makes me happy. A job that will teach me lessons I can look back on for the rest of my life. Raising children is all of these things for me...and I feel so blessed to be where I am today.

Isn't it funny how children teach you things about yourself? They say whatever comes to mind...and oftentimes it's the naked truth. They don't sugarcoat anything. They don't censor what comes out of their mouths. They just say it. And sometimes it stings. That's what I love about kids. You can talk to them so simply. No big words or long explanations. Just talk to them in their language they're more likely to listen and understand you. I might change my mind about the listening part when I take Sam to a birthday party for one of his classmates at Charlotte Jr. Gym in an hour. We'll see.

I promise I won't always be so long-winded. And I won't always be so reflective and serious. My life is a zoo...and you'll read about it soon enough, I'm sure.