Lady Like

Since Gillian now sleeps in a big girl bed, we were able to have a big girl sleepover. Her Aunt Lizzie was the special guest. Here we are, having a big girl tea party dinner.

Gillian wasn't sure what to do with her soup, when she was done eating...
A little messy, but happy.

Lizzie remained tidy throughout the meal.

Peyton was just jumping away the whole time.

Will He Sleep?

Gillian was awake, crying, from 2 am & forward through the morning... She went back down for a nap at 8:30. Now she is napping again & I was hoping to catch a few winks myself. But, Peyton is resisting the sand man. I hope he falls asleep, before Gillian wakes!
Gillian is teething - getting her top set of cuspids. They seem to be causing way more pain than any of her other teeth had been for her. Poor dear. And, poor mommy & daddy...

I Hope I Win

My friend Lis is part of a mom product review blog. They have reviews and give aways all the time. Check it out - SIMPLE. They are currently having a contest/giveaway for these adorable shoes, Rileyroos sold by Rosie Toesies. My favorite ones for Gillian are the Mary Jane Licorice, and for Peyton - the Sportie Butterscotch. Gosh. I don't know which one I would want to win. I think the Sportie Butterscotch for Peyton. All of them are so cool!
Check out the Squeaker Sneakers at Rosie Toesies, too. At first I thought, "that is totally annoying & lame..." But! Maybe it wouldn't be so bad at the park, where your little ones are running around. Easier to keep track of....

Bella e Juno

In the last week, we saw really good movies that you all should think about seeing, too!
They have a really similar message. But, they are very different from each other. One did well in the box office, the other didn't. They are both quite "heavy", as they deal with unwanted pregnancies.
Bella is just that. Beautiful. We highly recommend this film. More people need to see it. It played in very few theaters, for a very short time. Our local blockbuster doesn't even carry it. Everyone should ask their video store to get it! But, be prepared to cry...
"BELLA is a true love story about how one day in New York City changed three people forever."
Juno won an Oscar & more awards, and was nominated for a bunch more, too. It does have some scenes & conversations that are a bit inappropriate. But, should be fine for adults. Overall, the film was very touching. The characters are excellent - they really draw you in. Apparently the writer is not pro-life. But, the film is very life honoring.

One of the Few

Spicy Salt Rubbed Chicken
This is one of the very few ways Gillian will eat any meat. I made this for Girl's book club last month & Gillian ate nearly half of a piece. Scott & I were amazed! So, I have made it a few more times since then. She eats it every time. I'm glad it's an easy one, with ingredients we always have on hand!
We just made it last week for a 4th of July bbq. I'm sad I didn't take any pictures from this last week. Scott's parents & brother came to town for the holiday weekend. We had a good time! And, on the 4th, my family all came over ,too, for a bbq. Gillian loved that day. She spent almost the whole day outside.
Anyway - here's the recipe for the chicken. It's a simple one to remember, as the measurements are almost all the same!

serves 10

10 chicken breasts (or whatever pieces you want...)
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. oregano leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c. rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c. thyme leaves, finely chopped
1/3 c. kosher salt
2 1/2 T. freshly ground black pepper

Marinade the chicken pieces in the lemon juice & olive oil, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the grill.
Combine herbs & salt & pepper in a bowl . Dredge each piece of chicken in rub.
Grill the chicken over medium coals, for about 20 minutes. (depending on the cut of meat & thickness, etc...)

Everything Changes

We thought Happy Hollow was the one thing that would never change. We went this week & it looks the same as it did 30 years ago. But, that was the last time. They are doing a major gutting & remodeling . I am sad. This is such a sweet little park. And, although much of it looks "boring" to me now. I remember the thrill of the crooked house slide, and the old lady's shoe slide and the spinning saucer & the special times when Danny the Dragon train was open. I don't think they ever even gave anything a fresh coat of paint. Everything always looked old. But, fun, nonetheless. Now it will be new. Hopefully still fun. We'll have to go next year, and see.

The 1 Thing I've Learned

Gillian is getting so grown up. She'll be 2 in a few months. I can't believe it.
She has been sleeping in a big girl toddler bed, in her new room, for a week now. It is a little rough. But, better than I had imagined.

Here she is posing for a photo in her new bed.

Now I am trying to potty train her. I've learned one thing so far. Potty training is exhausting to the trainer! Yesterday I thought maybe I was pregnant again already. I was that tired. I was almost falling asleep, every time I stopped moving. Having to watch her so attentively at every moment wears me out. Potty Training is probably very tiring to the trainee, too. Can you imagine, having someone ask you every 2 minutes, "Do you have to go potty?! Tell Mama if you have to go potty, okay? We go potty in the potty seat now." That has the wear out the hearer, too.
So far I haven't learned anything else. Meaning we have not been successful!

House Swap

Have any of you every done, or thought of doing, House Swapping? Check it out here. Putting your house up is free. If you do it, and get your friends to do it, then there will be more houses to choose from!
I think it seems like a really cool deal.