Day 197 - Sick

Our kid is sick.  Again.

Imagine our surprise during church today when Sam started vomiting in the middle of church.  During the sacrament.  When it was silent.  Ben said every mother in the chapel whipped her head around to see who was puking.  Meanwhile I caught the grossness.  In my hand.  Cause I'm a mom and that's what you do.  It was awesome.  We quickly cleaned him and the pew up and brought him home.  I returned to church to go to  Young Women armed with cleaner to disinfect that business. Cause I'm a mom and that's what you do.

Day 196 - One Track Mind

Sam loves numbers.  

He arranges his toys to make numbers all the time.  Legos, cars, trains. Whatever he can get his hands on. 

 Sometimes I just wish he would use the crayons to write numbers instead of  arranging them to look like numbers.

Day 195 - Old McDonald

Earlier this week Sam discovered that he could sing "Old McDonald"  using any animal he wanted. It was very exiciting.   So far, Sam has informed us that on his farm he had a duck, cow, horse, cat, dog, frog, bat, lion and mouse.  With a little bit of help from Ben in the car tonight, we learned that Old McDonald also has a Lightening McQueen with a "Ka-Chow" here and a Mater with a "Dad-gum" there.    

We had to put that into action as soon as we got home.  Hooray for pretend play!

Day 194 - Chippies

No Mother, I have not been eating Doritos.  Whatever would give you that idea?

My clothes?  Some crazy lady took them after I played in the sink and soaked my shirt. 

Frito Pie break

We interrupt this 365 project so I can write a post for my mom.  A post about Frito Pie the most ridiculously junkie and delicious food known to man.   There is conflicting information about where Frito Pie originates.  The most common belief is Texas.  Which I believe.  'Cause you can buy it everywhere.  I happened to be blessed with a wonderful mother who introduced me to Frito Pie in my youth.  Even though we lived up North.  In Nevada.  I'm not sure she ever made it.  I think she just bought it for us at Sonic . . .

Anyway. Tonight I received a call from my mom regarding other things, but she expressed her dismay that I had not posted a picture of last night's dinner of Frito Pie on the blog. We're friends on FB my mom and I.  She read about dinner there.  She also told me that I needed to give her instructions on how I made it. As it so happens, I had it again for lunch.  I even took a picture.  So here is it.  It's pretty complex.

Frito Pie - Tracey Style


One bag of Fritos.  (15 oz I think . . .)

One medium size can of Wolf Brand Chilli with beans.
 (I don't know if you can buy this brand outside of the Midwest.  You'll have to check.  Believe me, this is the brand you want to use.  So good. Order it on Amazon if you have to.)

2 cups (or more) of finely shredded cheddar jack cheese

Sour cream (optional)

Green onions or regular onions (optional)

Heat your chili in the microwave.  Spread your chips on a small cookie sheet.  Cover your chips with chili.  Cover the chili with cheese.  Stick under the broiler on low until you cheese melts.   Remove from oven.  Add onions.  Add sour cream.  Enjoy.

Note:  I sprinkled some parsley on mine.  I didn't have green onion but I thought is needed some color.

Day 193 - Sam

This kid is delightful.  He makes being a mom so stinking fun.  I love that he is talking.  He loves that he is talking. Over the last couple of days he has started to become quite the conversationalist.   Here are a few of my favorites.

 "Chippies please Mama."

If you look carefully you can see his face is covered in Dorito dust.

"It's dark in here."

"Hey, check it out."

"Ohhh, a treasure chest."  Describing my recipe box. 

"Gold doubloons!"  For the treasure box, of course

"I can't find it."  Regarding looking for the gold doubloons. 

And my very favorite. "Stinky feet!"

Believe me.  This kid really does have stinky (yet adorable) feet.

Day 192 - Sista's Shaved Ice

Apparently talking about shaved ice is going to become a regular thing around here.  Tonight we went to Sista's Shaved ice.  Again, delicious.  Not only is it delicious, it is also the most beautiful shaved ice I've ever seen.  Ben practically ran it over to me so I could take a photo before it started to melt.  The consistency isn't quite as smooth as the place we went the other night (GBJB's Shaved Ice) but I preferred the cherry/coconut I had tonight over the tropical punch I had the other night.  Sista's also uses condensed milk as their "cream" and poured it liberally throughout the shaved ice.  Both places were about the same price so we which one we visit will be determined by where we are when the hankering strikes.  

As you can see, Sam is super stoked about this quest for shaved ice.  He would rather have "nuggets and fries".

Day 191 - Blogs

Ben has been coming up with t-shirt ideas for me to make.  He comes up with things that I would NEVER think of.  We brought this idea to life today.

My Mormon mommy's blog is better than your Mormon mommy's blog.

I really don't think my blog is any better than any other blog.  Ben just thinks it is funny that Mormon women are so competitive.  I think it is scary.


Wait until you see what is up next. . . 

Day 190 - Lunch

While super delicious, today's lunch took very little effort.  Kinda like today's photo.  I need some new ideas people . . . 

Day 189 - Sun

Sunshine is something we are not lacking around here.  It seems to hit 100 degrees nearly every day.  The sun isn't only outside at our house.  Ben taught Sam how to draw a sun and it is now his favorite thing to draw.  Other than letters and numbers.  

Day 189 - Tater. Tot. Casserole

WAAYYYYY back in November we took a jaunt to Spicewood, TX to try a BBQ place called Opie's BBQ.  It was delightful but rushed as they were preparing for a wedding rehearsal dinner.  It's Texas.  Anyway, after three thwarted attempts to eat there again, we finally succeeded tonight.  It was just as good as the first time.  The best part is the Tatertot Casserole.  I ate it so fast, I didn't even think to get a photo.  I know this.  It has hashbrowns, cheese, onions, onion straws and mushrooms in it.  If someone thinks they have a recipe that resembles this, will you please send it to me?  Pretty please?

Day 188 - Girls Camp

Last night I got to head up to Girls Camp to see our YW.  I sure love those girls!  I got tons of cute (and hilarious) photos.  However, since I try really hard to protect their privacy ( And their self-esteem.  After all they've been at camp for a week) this is the only photo I'm posting until I have official permission.

Day 187 - Shaved Ice

Ben and I love shaved ice. 

It was a nightly ritual for us when we were engaged and the during the first summer we were married.   The summer I was pregnant with Sam I couldn't get enough of it and I often made my coworkers go on shaved ice runs with me in the middle of the afternoon.  

Luckily, shaved ice abounds in Austin due to the lovely heat.  Since I'm not pregnant, it took us a little longer to get in the swing of summer this year.  We had our first serving tonight.  It was glorious.  

Even Grizzly Adams  Ben thought so.  

Day 186 - Craftin'

Girl's Camp started today and since I stayed home I offered to watch the camp director's two kids.  They were fabulous.  We swam, ate McDonald's, watched Toy Story 3, played the Xbox, worked on a Webelos badge and best of all, crafted.

Me and Miss S. are crafting buddies.  She's 8 and she loves to make everything we make with the Young Women.  Today I set aside a cute little bracelet idea just for her. Unfortunately the Xbox Kinnect was just too exciting so the bracelet and I lost out to it.  I did get her to make one bracelet so I could get a photo.

Day 185 - Mail

Sam LOVES "Mail Time" on Blue's Clues.  He's sings the song and yells when Steve yells.  Mail Time at the Hanson's was particularly great today.  

I got a cute "Thank You" note from one of my young women that I accompanied on the piano for Father's Day.  

I got a card from a friend that I did photos for.  The only thing the card said was, "Love you long time."  She's a true friend.  

My phone came with the FedEx guy.  This made my day since I haven't had a phone since Friday.  If you know me at all, you know that this is a major problem.  

Finally, Sam got this cute t-shirt from my parents.  It's from Cracker Barrel.  My parents have a cute little habit of picking up stuff for the grandkids while they are there.  Love them.  

Here's a pic of the shirt, taken with the new phone that features a two way camera.  This is perfect since Sam always wants to look through the phone at the subject of the photograph.  Even when the subject is supposed to be Sam.

Day 184 - Sick Day 4

Sam has been sick since Thursday.  Today the fever is just about gone.  Unfortunately "Manic Sam"  has come to play.  We never know what to expect minute to minute.  Happy.  Sad.  Wild.  Tired.  Insane.

Ben's favorite part is when Sam is sooooooo mad that his legs can no longer support his little body and he melts to the floor in rage. I think it must be a medical condition.  I think I'm going to start a FB post chain.  Because I love them. Not really.   Post this on your FB if you want to find a cure.

"Every one of us knows a toddler afflicted with RIML  (Rage Induced Mellty Legs).  Every day thousands of children lose the use of their legs during fits of rage.  In order to help these children, post this on your wall and join us in praying for a cure for RIML in 2011." 

Sam post-RIML fit.

Day 183 - Halfway

‎183 days down. 182 to go. The boys are THRILLED!

Day 182 - Sickies

My little buddy has been running a fever all day. We've watched Cars twice and about a thousand episodes of Blue's Clues.  Of course today was the day I had planned to pound out some serious photo processing.  

 Luckily, Ben came home to take over snuggle duty so I could get some work done and make us some dinner.  It's a good thing Sam would rather snuggle Dad anyway. 

Day 181 - Shirt Makin'

Just in case you were worried that I haven't had enough projects lately (HAHAHAHA!)  I picked up a Yudu screen printing machine at Micheal's this week.  It was on SUPER sale.  

I love it. 

I love it so much that I helped my sweet friend make t-shirts for Girls Camp today.  All day long.  
We may or may not have taken a break to eat delicious tortas and tres leches for lunch.  

I love Minda. 

I also love my other friend Jane who volunteered to sew the stars on so the girls wouldn't be victims of my inferior sewing abilities.  

I also love the girls so they are all getting these cutie shirts that go along with our Dr. Seuss theme this year. 
Minda's daughter was singing, "Don't be a Sneetch, just be a star." to Lady Gaga all afternoon. 


I don't love having songs stuck in my head.

Day 180 - Grandpa Cookies

While we were in Utah my dad got my son hooked on Golden Oreos.  Sam doesn't like candy and he rarely likes cookies so this is saying something.  When we got home they were on sale at the store so I bought him a pack. As soon as I pulled out the package he said, "Grandpa cookies!"

Tonight they will be "Lego Pirates of the Caribean Cookies" for Ben and I.  See you peeps later.  I gotta go bust up some Lego pirates.

Day 179 - Kaaaa-iinnn (Korynn)

Sam loves kids.  He especially loves older kids.  Like teenagers.  Like our buddy Korynn.  She's one of our favorite babysitters.  Sam calls her Kaaaa-innn.  Two distinct syllables.  When we picked her up today he wanted to hold HER hand when we walked in.  Not mom's.  She helped me out while I was processing photo shoots.  At one point I looked out into the living room and my child gave me the biggest cheeser.  I'm pretty sure it said, "MOM! This girl is AWESOME!"  He cried for 10 minutes when she left.  If someone helped you build a Lego tower like this, you would cry when they left too.

 I'm so lucky to work with the Young Women at our church and have access to such great girls. I'm already dreading back to school.

Day 178 - View

Sam likes to have people around him when he plays.  Usually he is dragging us around the house but I am swamped with photo shoots to process so we had to come up with a new plan. 

Ben helped  me (and by "helped me"  I mean he did it all by himself while I was getting ready for church) rearrange the furniture in the guest room/office so Sam would have room to play.  This is the view from my desk chair.  I think this might be a workable solution.

Now if someone would just put some pants on that kid . . .

Day 177 - Diet Pepper

You know it's to reevaluate your parenting style when your child yells, "Diet Coke.  Diet Pepper." every time you come within 500 ft of a fast food restaurant.

 

Day 176 - Baby

Why is my child determined to sit in infant car seats whenever possible?!

Day 175 - Friday Night

This is how we roll at 9:00 pm on a Friday night.  

The kid is in bed.  

The feet are up.

 I'm admiring my sandal tan lines and chipping pedicure.  

Ben is killing zombies with plants or something.

 And I'm pretty sure there is an ice cream cake calling my name from the freezer.  

Day 174 - Obsessed

Confession:  I'm currently obsessed with Vanilla Fanta Orange from Sonic.

I plan to drink at least one every other day for the rest of the summer.

Day 173 - Meltdown @ C43

Our trip to Utah was super fun, a little sad and a whole bunch o' crazy.  We've safely arrived back in Texas last night and we are ready to get back in the swing of things.  The blog is updated and the pictures have been posted.   Hopefully you can tell how much fun our trip was.  

So to start things off, I'll show you the end, Sam's meltdown at gate C43 in the Denver airport.  

Day 172 - Timpanogas

Looking at our wedding photos makes me a little bitter.  All I'm going to say is "Thank you for charging me a bunch of money for taking crappy photos in auto with your DSLR utilized as a point and shoot."  See I'm just a little bitter.

Anyway, Ben and I don't have a good photo of the Mount Timpanogas Temple.  So on this trip I rectified the situation.  I took a ton but I'm too lazy to edit them right now.  So here's my one of my favs thus far.  

Day 171 - Let's see Granny

Sam loves his Granny.  Unfortunately it took him a little while to figure out how to say Granny.
 The first few days he called her Tranny.  That was really funny.
Towards the end he started calling her Cranny.  

However he pronounced it, over and over during our trip I heard, "Let's see Granny!"

I can't imagine why he always thought that sounded like a good idea.  

Day 170 - Routine

Every night about 8:00 pm my dad and Sam would take a little trip outside.  

They would water the plants.

 

And sit in the semi.

Sam now walks around saying, "C-A-T.  Cat."

 The last night we were there it had been raining but the first thing Sam did was grab my dad's hand and say, "Grandpa, water plants." I'm not sure that they needed to be watered but they did it anyway.

Day 169 - Kisses

When I went to work for BMW I met the nicest girl named Julie. She taught me all about processing travel and expenses. I love her.  After a year of working together we started making connections and it turns out that she was friends with Ben's brother and his wife YEARS ago when they were all living in the DC area.  So crazy.  Her cutie kids played with my nieces and nephews.  Now I get to take pictures of those cutie kids.

What a small and wonderful world.

Day 168 - Grandpa's Dozer

My dad has started a little collection over the last couple of years. A collection of heavy equipment.  When we were in Southern Utah for my grandfather's funeral, he took my cousins' boys and Sam for a ride on his bulldozer. The bulldozer that I didn't even know existed.  They all had a blast!

Day 167 - Stunt Men

I may have mentioned that Sam really enjoys swimming.  He especially enjoys performing stunts while swimming. Luckily, my brothers Kent and Adam were around to teach him some new stunts.  Based on Kent's history this might be a good thing or a really bad thing.  

Apparently my child loves falling face first into the water.

Day 166 - Railroad

As shown by my nephew Noah, (or No . . . Ah as Sam calls him) we instill a love of trains early in my family.

Sam had so much fun playing with his cousins.  Sometimes he had a little too much fun playing with the little ones.  He doesn't quite get that you can pull the along as you run.  Especially if they don't walk.  I'll apologize now for any psychological or physical trauma Sam may have caused during our visit.