Quotes from Campers

Even with REI right down the road from our house, Aaron and I still love to visit Old Town Outfitters from time to time. As far as outdoor equipment goes (clothing, tents, sleeping bags, knick-knacks, etc.), they usually have the best sales (unless you're ordering online...then Campmore has them beat). We love Old Town Outfitters because the staff is absolutely wonderful, they carry great brands of gear, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to help you find what you need.

I'm on the Old Town Outfitters mailing list and recently got a funny e-mail in my inbox. The following quotes are actual comments left on US Forest registration comment cards by backpackers completing wilderness camping trips. Enjoy!

• A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call.
• Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness.
• Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.
• Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.
• Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.
• The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.
• Ban walking sticks in wilderness. Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals.

New Addition? WHAT?!

When Liz got home from work this afternoon, I was enjoying a moment of peace and quiet while the boys napped. Liz walked to the kitchen, opened an envelope that had come in the mail this afternoon, and gasped. My curiosity was piqued, but I knew she'd come tell me what it was if it was humorous or odd. Sure enough, 10 seconds later Liz walked to where I was sitting in the front den and read the card aloud:

Dear Mike, Liz, Sam, and Toby - Congratulations on your successes and the new addition to your family!

Enclosed was a generous gift card to Baby Gap.

As far as I know, I'm the only addition the Waller family has seen in the past 9 months. My jaw dropped. Did I miss something?? Surely they wouldn't forget to clue the Nanny in on such glorious/important/life-changing news!

Liz laughed and said, "This is news to me! I wonder what she knows that I don't...".

I'd be more than happy if the Wallers were adding another munchkin to the bunch...but I think they've decided that 2 is enough (**Pssssst! Liz! It's not too late to change your mind!**).

Brownilocks

As I was driving Sam home from his last day of 3-year-old preschool today (oh, the sadness!), he told me they read about Goldilocks and the Three Bears at storytime. This is the conversation that followed:

Sam: Mrs. Allison, I wonder why her name is "Goldilocks"...
Me: Her name is Goldilocks because her hair is gold. You know...blond...like yours...
Sam: Ohhh... (I looked in the rear-view mirror to see his eyebrows scrunched together as if his brain was trying to process the very important revelation)
Sam: (after a few seconds of silence) ...So if Goldilocks had brown hair, her name would be "Brownilocks," right?

Ah jeez. Never a dull moment with that child.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," watch this. I'll never forget listening to Aaron's old roommate Julian laugh hysterically at this commerical.

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

Our friends Ben and Jess came over for dinner last night. I wanted to make something that I knew everyone liked, and how could I go wrong with pasta and cheese? This recipe is so great and very easy to make:

Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce
12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 36 shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing baking sheet
6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, diced
2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups marinara sauce
2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Lightly oil a 12 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish and set aside. Lightly oil the baking sheet and set aside.


2. Partially cook the pasta shells in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly tender but still quite firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. You will continue cooking the shells in the oven after they have been stuffed. Using a slotted spoon, drain pasta shells and place on oiled baking sheet, spreading them out so that they don't stick together and allow to cool.


3. Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.


4. In a medium bowl, stir the ricotta, Parmesan, egg yolks, basil, parsley, mint, salt, and pepper. Set aside.


5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


6. Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 2 tablespoons per shell. Arrange the shells in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, then sprinkle with the mozzarella.


7. Bake in the lower third of your oven until the filling is heated through and the top is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

I omitted the pancetta (it's expensive and very hard to find) and mint (I wasn't sure if everyone liked it) and the recipe still turned out great. You could also use dried parsley and basil (instead of fresh spices) if you need to. Next time, I'll probably add some chopped spinach to the cheese mixture. A 9x13 baking dish didn't have enough room to fit all of the shells so I used an 8x8 baking dish in addition to the 9x13 dish.

This recipe is fabulous and very easy. Give it a try and let me know what you think :)

The Snake Charmer

The Deer Whisperer is now The Snake Charmer. Check it out. You'll squirm. Then you'll gasp. Then you'll rejoice. Go! Now!

Workout Secret #2

So here's workout secret number 2: Make sure to eat enough and drink lots of water throughout the day so your body has enough fuel to sustain itself during your workout. If you don't, you'll end up almost passing out and/or puking by the end of your workout session like I did yesterday. Let me explain.

Eddie, the owner of the Anytime Fitness in Fort Mill, told me about interval training after I asked him for advice on how to make my cardio routine more effective and challenging. He also wanted to show me some new and more creative exercises to help challenge my muscles again.

The 30 minutes of interval training went well...or so I thought. I worked so hard and sweated so much that I'm pretty sure I expended every carbohydrate in my body. After 30 minutes of lifting weights and learning new exercises, I started to get that familiar feeling - cold sweat, blood rushing from my head, paleness, shakiness, weakness, and nausea. My blood sugar plummeted quickly and before Eddie could show me any new abdominal exercises, I told him I was probably done for the day, dashed to the bathroom, and puked up all of the water I had drank in the past hour. Great. Hypoglycemic and dehydrated.

A soon as I got to the car, I put a piece of chewing gum in my mouth to help elevate my blood sugar. When I got home I took a shower and drank some water. The last thing I wanted to do was eat because I felt so nauseous, but I knew I needed to get some sugar into my system. I think I consumed enough sugar (i.e. cookies, lowfat ice cream, and chocolate) to negate the entire workout I had just done...but whatever. I needed it and it made me feel better.

So, in conclusion, don't be an idiot like me. If you know you have issues with low blood sugar, eat something before you go to the gym. Keep a piece of candy with you at all times. Know your body's limits and listen when it's screaming for a break.

I'm happy about my new workout plan. I'm even happier that I didn't puke all over the floor at the gym.

I've Hit A Plateau

That's right. An exercise plateau.

When you do the same workout routine for 6 weeks or so, your body adapts to the workout, becomes more efficient at it, and therefore you burn fewer calories because your body isn't working as hard. Makes sense, right?

I'm headed to the gym after work today to see a trainer and get a new workout routine for the next 6 weeks. I always love getting a new workout plan because it brings some freshness to my daily workout and makes my muscles sore again. I'm especially excited about the new routine I'm learning today because the exercises are a little more challenging and interesting than any of the others I've done.

Here are a few common reasons why you may hit a plateau:

• doing the same workout over and over
• not eating enough calories (your body needs calories to burn them!)
• overtraining (when you burn a lot of calories working out too often, your body may decrease the amount of calories you burn for the rest of the day)

I'm ready to leave this plateau behind and start climbing again. I'll let you know how it goes...

Busy Week Ahead...

We have a busy week ahead. Here's an overview (this is more of a reminder for myself than anything else...):

• Tonight: Aaron is working late and I'm babysitting the crazy Corbett children. When I babysat Ella and Austin this past Thursday, Austin pooped in the bathtub. Chunks and Amy were mortified and said that he's never done that before. That's the 4th time (with 4 different children) it's happened to me. What's the deal? I must be doing something wrong...
• Tuesday Night: If I have to tell you what happens on Tuesday nights, then you're a loser (um, just kidding). It's American Idol Finale week! My lovely friend Courtney is coming over to watch the final night of performances with me. Tuesday nights with Courtney have become a tradition and I've really enjoyed her company as we watch the performances. Besides, when Courtney comes over, Aaron doesn't give me half as much of a hard time about watching American Idol as he does when she's not there. I don't care which David wins because they're both going to be extremly successful when the season is over.
• Wednesday night: Aaron and I are joining some friends from our Elevation small group to watch the American Idol results show finale. When Aaron heard that we were attending Kerri and Will's AI Finale party, he whined, "Uhhhhh! Well what are the guys gonna do while the girls watch American Idol?!?" Everyone just looked at him. "We're going to watch, too," the husbands said defeatedly. Sorry, guys. The wives win this time.
• Thursday night: Our friends Ben and Jessica are joining us at our house for dinner. We haven't really spent any individual time with them since they were married in March, so it'll be nice to catch up with them and find out what's new in their lives.
• Friday night: We're going to Speed Street Charlotte with some friends. Speed Street transforms the streets of Uptown Charlotte into a showcase of motor sports with non-stop entertainment on three stages, appearances by top Nextel Cup Drivers, dynamic exhibits for all ages and an amazing assembly of NASCAR show cars and simulators (I stole that from the Speed Street website).
• Saturday: I was supposed to host a Pampered Chef party on Saturday afternoon, but I didn't realize it was Memorial Day weekend (note to self: check the holiday calendar next time you plan a party). Since everyone is going out of town, I decided to cancel the party and have everyone order from the catalog instead. My mom (who lives in Charleston) was planning to show up for the party at my house on Saturday and surprise me with with my aunt and cousin who live in Jacksonville, Florida. I'm so excited that they're still coming to spend time with me this weekend and I'm really looking forward to some family "girl time." My brother is driving up with the ladies to spend some time with Aaron.
• Sunday: ELEVATION! My Aunt DeeDee and cousin Taylor have never been to Elevation Church, so I'm excited that they'll get to experience it this weekend. I'm just warning you, Hanagriffs...you'll be hooked by the time you leave. I'm just sayin'...

We couldn't squeeze anything else in this week if we tried! I'm excited about the week ahead :)

Oh, and Sam just informed me that "money doesn't grow on trees." I wonder where he learned that...

Workout Secret #1

Since summer is coming quickly and everyone is scrambling to get their bodies into shape, I've decided to let you in on my #1 workout secret: RAP MUSIC.

Stop laughing.

Although I have a wide variety of music on my iPod shuffle, I always find myself skipping through until I find a rap song when I'm at the gym. Whether I'm lifting weights or running on the treadmill, I always need upbeat music to help me stay motivated.

Here's my favorite playlist for cardio days:

"The Way You Make Me Feel" - Michael Jackson
"Yeah" - Usher featuring Ludacris and Lil John
"Grillz" - Nelly featuring Paul Wall
"Get it Poppin'" - Fat Joe featuring Nelly
"U Can't Touch This" - MC Hammer
"Trainwreck" - Mat Kearney
"Hey Ya" - Outkast
"Bringing Sexy Back" - Justin Timberlake

I know those aren't all rap songs, but the ones that aren't rap are definitely catchy. Download the edited versions of your favorite upbeat songs, put them on your iPod, and get your butt to the gym. I guarantee you'll have a more intense and motivated workout.

Oh, and in the words of MC Hammer..."Either work hard or you might as well quit."

New Toby Developments

Toby has been doing and saying so many new things lately. I'll give you a list.

• Instead of just nodding his head "no," Toby now says "no." And it's usually not just "no." It's "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Yay.
• He gets his shoes when I ask him to.
• He knows what phrases like "let's go" and "it's time for lunch" mean.
• Every morning after breakfast the boys and I go upstairs so I can get them dressed. Sam always goes to the potty while I'm picking out Toby's clothes and I try to get Toby dressed before Sam finishes in the bathroom. Whenever I say, "Come on, Toby. It's time to get dressed," he always darts over to the furthest corner of the upstairs hallway, squats down, and waits for me to come get him. For some reason, he HATES having his diaper and clothes changed. I find it quite strange that he's not used to it after 19 months.
• He knows what sounds elephants, cats, and dogs make.
• He's able to play with Sam at the playground without me helping him up the stairs or down the slide. I still follow them around at the playground, but I don't have to be so close. It's fun to watch them interact with each other.
• The boys usually see Aaron a few times each week. When Aaron and I call each other "Baby," Toby gets so excited. "BABY! BABY!" he screams. Aaron and Allison are really hard names for kids to say. Maybe he'll just call both of us "Baby."

And there you have it...all of the new Toby developments. I can't wait to see what he learns next!

The Whole White World

Mrs. Allison, you're my favorite Nanny in the whole white world!

I've told Sam a million times that it's whole wide world...not whole white world...and I'm pretty sure I'm the only Nanny he's ever had...

But whatever. He's still really cute. And charming.

Hello! My Name is TROUBLE...

When I rang the doorbell at work this morning, Sam answered the door. Before I could even say "Good morning!" to the boys, Sam informed me that he wasn't allowed to watch TV before school today. He was already dressed in his "Hello! My name is TROUBLE" t-shirt. Uh oh.

I asked him if he had been bad.

His response: "Weeeeeeell...yeah."

Sam informed me of what bad thing he had done (I won't disclose the details here) and I told him that wasn't a very good thing to do. He promised to be good for me for the rest of the day, but I wasn't so convinced with that t-shirt staring back at me.

For the rest of the morning, he ran around the house screaming, "HELLO! MY NAME IS TROUBLE! Toby...did you know that my name is TROUBLE today?"

That t-shirt is only cute when kids don't know or understand what it says.

On a more positive note, Aaron and I picked up some imitation Zyrtec from Bloom last night and I felt like a new person when I woke up this morning. No sneezing. No stuffy nose. No itchy, watery eyes. No headache. YESSSSSSSS...

A Mother's Love

Your arms were always open when I needed a hug. Your heart understood when I needed a friend. Your gentle eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. Your strength and love have guided me and given me wings to fly.

- Sarah Malin

Happy Mother's Day, Mama! I'm sorry I can't be with you on your special day, but I'm thinking about you and everything you've done to make me who I am today. I pray that one day I will be even half as good of a Mom as you've been to me. You and Daddy have raised and guided two wonderful children and we love you more than words can express!

I love you, Ma!

Sissy

I LOVE My Job

I know that oftentimes my blog entries have an undertone of sarcasm and jokiness, but today I'm being serious. I abslutely LOVE my job.

Of course there are bad days every once in a while, but the good ones definitely outweigh the bad ones. Today has been a good day so far.

I don't know if it's the beautiful weather outside, the fact that Toby and I got lots of good bonding time in while Sam was at school this morning, the impending weekend o' fun, or a combination thereof...but today has been one of those days to remember when a bad day rolls around.

After Toby and I dropped Sam off at school this morning, he and I went to the bank and then to pick up a few things from Wal-Mart. I love taking Toby with me to Wal-Mart, Target, or the grocery store because he's always so well-behaved (as long as he's restrained in the buggy). He loves looking at everything in the aisles and babbles constantly. I ask him questions and teach him new words. He waves to everyone who passes by and yells "HIEEEEEEEEE!" And then there are the precious moments when he puckers up and leans in for a kiss (without me having to ask!). Shopping is always good bonding time for us. When I told him we were "all done" shopping today, a look of sadness crossed his face and he yelled, "Mo! Mo! (More! More!)." More shopping??? Liz, are you sure this is your child and not mine?

After going to Wal-Mart, Toby and I ate lunch at Panera. Toby's cute face scored us a free oatmeal-raisin cookie before we even ordered our food. He ate his entire grilled cheese sandwich, a yogurt stick, three-fourths of the oatmeal-raisin cookie (I ate the other fourth!), half of my Turkey Chick Pea Chili & bread (which was amazing, by the way), and drank all of his milk. I don't know how his stomach didn't explode.

After lunch, I strolled Toby around the lake at Freedom Park. Even though there were a bazillion middle school kids everywhere, we still had a good time. We saw geese, ducks, and lots of dogs. The weather was absolutely perfect and the wind blew just enough to keep us cool. I love Spring days.

I feel extremely blessed to have a job that I love. I know what it's like to dread going to work and I'm so thankful I don't have to feel that way anymore. I'm pretty sure I was put on this earth to take care of children...and I'm glad the Lord has helped me realize that.

Greatness

I have a slight obsession with old-school Michael Bolton songs. Seriously.

I think I love his music so much because it reminds me of my childhood. I don't think my parents ever owned any Michael Bolton tapes (that's right - TAPES)...I think I just remember hearing him on the radio and seeing the hundreds of TV specials he sang on.

When I discovered that Aaron's parents owned the Michael Bolton - Greatest Hits 1985-1995 album, I made sure I left their house with a copy. It's awesome.

Aaron makes fun of me when I listen to Michael Bolton (can you imagine?). He says that Michael Bolton's head is going to blow off one day because of all the high notes he hits. He also says (sarcastically) that a duet with Michael Bolton and Kenny G would be a smash hit. I think my husband might be on to something...

While I was searching YouTube for old Michael Bolton music videos (like Steel Bars, How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, Love is A Wonderful Thing, and Time, Love, and Tenderness), I found this. It's okay, Michael. I still love you.

Movie Day

I never had to deal with allergies until I moved to Rock Hill, SC. After battling with allergies for the past 6 years, I'm thinking that maybe I should go to an allergist to figure out exactly what I'm allergic to.

On Monday, I decided to work out by cutting the grass instead of wasting the beautiful weather on a treadmill in the gym (that's right, I cook and cut grass). Aaron had already started cutting the grass by the time I got home from work and I convinced him (after lots of pleading) to let me take over. After sneezing and snotting for almost 2 hours, the grass was successfully cut but I was in shambles. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to grass.

I've been paying for Monday's outdoor workout all week. I tossed and turned all night last night (and evidently kept Aaron up, too) and I have a splitting headache this morning. Since it's raining outside and I don't feel well, I'm declaring today "movie day". The boys and usually stay very busy...so it'll be nice to relax and do something different.

Yay for movie day (and Zyrtec)!

Oregon, Here We Come!

Aaron and I love to travel and experience new things. We started thinking about where we wanted to go on vacation this summer as soon as we returned from our honeymoon to Disney World last September.

Our friends Sean and Tonia are from Oregon and Washington and have told us all about the incredible sights to see and things to do there. After Aaron and I watched the movie The Goonies (which was filmed in Astoria, Oregon) for the 100th time and remembered how gorgeous the scenery was, we were convinced that we should spend our vacation time in Oregon this year.

Sean has family all over Oregon and knows all of the great places to sightsee, hike, and camp...so he has offered to be our personal tour guide/planner for the trip. Hey, maybe he'll even take a few awesome photos for us while we're there :) Sean booked our flights last Thursday and we're now in the process of coming up with an itinerary for our 11 day trip to the West coast (we'll leave on August 23rd and return on September 2nd). We're psyched to get to travel across the country (this will be the first time Aaron has ever flewn on an airplane!) and spend time with each other, a great friend, and the great outdoors.

Look out, Oregon! Here we come!

I Love This Guy...

This is my favorite photo from this past weekend.

I'll post more pictures as soon as I convert them from .NEF files to .JPEG files. The process will be incredibly annoying but well worth it...

Our Day in Pictures...

The boys and I had a busy day! Here's a summary of our day from the lens of my Nikon D70...

Isn't he the cutest little man you've ever seen?! I just wanna pinch those chubby cheeks!

Sam had a really hard time sitting still. I thought Toby would be the difficult one, but I was wrong. Between all of the wiggling and non-stop talking, I'm pretty sure the lady who cut Sam's hair was happy to see us go.

Waiting for the train to arrive...

The classic "Toby face"

Picnic storytime at ImaginOn.

Guess who forgot to take a picture of the boys on the train? Yes, I'm a loser.

Getting onto and off of the train is a little stressful for me. We have a hard time finding seats together sometimes and the train operator only gives me 5 seconds to find seats for all 3 of us and get situated before he speeds off to the next station. You'd think that someone sitting in the middle of 3 seats would move and let us sit together...but that never happens. I wish people would take a second to think about what it's like to cart around a 4-year-old who never shuts up and an 18-month-old who needs to be restrained in a stroller so he doesn't terrorize everyone on the train. I guess it's no surprise that I forgot to take the boys' picture on the train...

Charlotte Knights Baseball

Here are some photos from Tuesday's Charlotte Knights Baseball Game:

They're so cute!

Second Inning

Third Inning

Waaaaaay Past Naptime

Aaron, the boys, and I had so much fun at the ball game! Toby did better than I thought he would. My reinforcements (snacks) worked like a charm. We almost made it through the entire game, but Toby had a meltdown at 1:30 (enter the grumpy-face picture) and we decided to leave in the middle of the 9th inning to beat the crowd. The score was tied 1-1 and we figured the game would go into extra innings anyway. I took the boys to the bathroom so I could change Toby's diaper and I heard the announcer over the intercom yelling, "It might be...YES...it is a HOME RUN!" Dang it. We missed the most exciting part of the entire game. Oh, well. We still had a great time.

Today I'm taking the boys to get a haircut. Then we're taking the LYNX light rail to picnic storytime at ImaginOn. I brought my camera with me today, so if all goes well I'll post "Our Day in Pictures" this afternoon.