Supper Club!

So a bunch of girls and I have started a supper club!  Once a month we gather at one of our houses and eat, have a few drinks, and have lots of girl talk.  Let me tell you, it is WONDERFUL!  I couldn't ask for a better group of girls!  It's definitely good for the soul, especially when I don't get out much...well, not at all! 


At our first Sunday night supper club, we had a yummy mexican dinner at Ashley's house, and this past Sunday, I hosted it at my house.  We had a Thanksgiving theme, and everyone brought a dish.  Everything was beyond delicious!  My new favorite thing is pineapple casserole.  (Major props to Jennifer Woodall!)  I'm not sure what her recipe is, but I do know I'll be making this delicious treat very soon!  Here's the recipe I found from Paula Deen's website:

1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained
6 tablespoons pineapple juice reserved
1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease medium-size casserole dish with butter
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour.  Gradually stir in the cheese.  Add the drained pineapple chunks, and stir until ingredients are well combined.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish. 
In another medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and reserved pineapple juice, stirring until evenly blended.  Spread crumb mixture on top of pineapple mixture.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. 


Disclaimer:  You may eat the entire dish in one sitting.  And, because it is a Paula Deen recipe, I wouldn't be surprised if there's more butter in this recipe than anyone else's would require.  Enjoy!

A Little Piece of Work

"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius

Let me start off by saying I LOVE my job.  I can't imagine getting up every morning and absolutely dreading my day.  Who wants to live that way?  Granted, I would love to be home with my babies and am very envious of those that do, but I feel great about working. 

Many of you probably know, but I've been working at Sylvan for almost 5 years.  There is something amazing about working with children.  Not a day goes by that I don't hear a child say, "I get it!", or "I made 'such-and-such' grade on my test!".  As a parent, you want your children to succeed, and when you can help other children that are not your own succeed and give parents that wonderful feeling, it's fantastic! 

We have a high school student that has been with us for a while for various reasons...more enrichment than anything.  Today, she came on her regular day, but brought a cake to her teacher because she knew her birthday was this week.  How awesome is that?! 

There's even a little girl (7 years old) that comes to Sylvan to improve her reading.  She is picked on at school because she doesn't have much hair.  Kids at school think she has cancer.  She can't read, and barely knows how to write a single letter.  In just a few weeks, she's made tons of friends.  This little girl is constantly sick, and when she's not at Sylvan on her scheduled day, all of the other students ask where she is and if she's okay. 

These little things make my heart melt and assure me that I'm in the right profession.  Be happy with what you're doing and don't sweat the small stuff.  You're making a difference to someone.

What a difference!

Many of you know that Pax was born with an eye abnormality.  To put it simply, his eyes took turns turning out.  I remember noticing something was different when he was itty bitty, but I never wanted to say anything out loud.  Saying it would mean it was real, and I didn't know how scary it might or might not be.  Well, I finally was put to terms with it one morning while taking him to daycare when he was about 8 or 9 months old. 

I was about to leave his daycare room when his teacher at the time asked had I seen anyone about his

eyes.  I replied, "no", and she quickly said, "I don't know if he can see."  Wow!  Let me tell you...this is something a parent NEVER wants to hear.  EVER.  Not knowing what to do, I kissed Pax goodbye and immediately left the room crying harder than the babies in the next room. 

When I got in the car, I called my mom and could barely get the words out of my mouth.  My grandmother works at an optometrist office, so we scheduled an appointment within 30 minutes.  The doctor examined his eyes, dilated them, etc. and referred us to a Pediatric Opthamologist at Duke.  He said this condition would need to be surgically corrected. 

Within a week or two, we went to Duke.  The opthamologist was (and still is) amazing!!  Yes, we were there to hear more news on his eye condition, but they made us feel as if it would magically disappear.  He was diagnosed with Exotropia and Astigmatism.  She told us that his brain would shut one eye off in order to focus with the other, and eventually after much "shutting off", he could go blind.  YIKES.  We were given lots of colorful eye patches for Pax to wear for a few hours each day, switching eyes, for a few months.  The patches would help strengthen the eye muscles and better determine which muscles needed to be cut, etc. when surgery day came.

The patches didn't work.  They were pretty much like stickers...but a lot more sticky.  Pax figured out how to take them off. 


On August 26, 2009, at 13 months old, we went to Duke for surgery day.  This was one of the scariest days of my life.  No parent wants to see their child be put to sleep...especially what I saw.  Because he was so young, they gave him a sleepy pill before the anesthesia.  The pill didn't make him sleepy, just a woozy feeling.  The nurses came to get him after about 30 minutes and asked me to go in the OR with them to "hold him down".  Again, not what you want to do...EVER.  I carried my baby boy into the OR, sat in a chair with him in my arms, and the nurses started putting a gas mask over his nose.  Pax went from cuddling against my chest to completely limp and dead weight in no time.  The nurses then grabbed him off my lab, put him on the table, and rushed me out of the room.  Talk about a nervous break down. 

The surgery was only to last about an hour.  Not so.  It lasted 3-4 hours.  His doctor had to cut more muscles than she thought.  When it was over, they allowed me to go back in recovery with him.  He woke up with bloody tears running down his cheeks.  He had stitches around his eye lids.  The whites of his eyes were completely red.  But, he never showed any pain.  Pax was a trooper!  The first thing he said when he opened his eyes was, "mama".  Melt my tender heart! 

....he didn't, however, say "mama" again for a good 3 months or so.  I'm not sure why, and I'll never know, but he makes up for it now!


When I look at him I still can't believe how straight his eyes are looking forward.  We go back to Duke this Tuesday to schedule another eye surgery...this time to correct his eyes when looking down.  This will eventually affect his ability to read comfortably if not corrected.  At least I know now how great the results will be! 

Poor baby Ella

Please take some time and say a few prayers for sweet baby Ella.  She was sent home from daycare with a sick belly.  Really, she's had this going on for 2 straight weeks, but it's continued to get worse.  Fortunately, she acts like her normal happy self!  I took her to the doctor to get checked out, and they not only changed her milk to a soy formula, they also are testing her for SALMONELLA!  I'm pretty sure the test will be negative, but it's never a good feeling.  Poor baby is just teething, I think.  Not only that, Ella also has bronchiolitis (which is bronchitis for adults).  We now have an antibiotic, new formula, and can't go back to daycare until she has a negative test.  Blah!

superman & minnie mouse!

This post is a day late, but Happy Halloween!  Pax went as a very unenthused Superman, and Ella was a very happy Minnie Mouse!

Rollin, rollin, rollin...

I picked up Ella from daycare Friday to find out she had rolled over for them!  I was so excited!!  These little milestones are truly big milestones for a parent.  We have worked with her over and over, and she finally decides to do it for someone other than mom and dad.  When I got her home, I immediately put her on her play mat and she went to town!  Matt and I were making such a big deal about it, and I guess Pax wanted some attention too.  He dropped on the floor and said, "look, I'm rolling too!"  She doesn't stop (and Pax immitates her too)...she even tries to get away when it's time to change a diaper.  Now the real fun begins...

Bad mom?

So, I have to admit I'm terrible.  I have yet to decorate for Halloween...and it's 10 days away.  No pumpkins.  No mums.  No fall flag outside.  Nada.  Pax carries a mini pumpkin and a light-up jack-o-lantern (plastic) around the house...note:  his grandmama and grandpap bought these...not mom or dad.  I feel awful!  I might just have to go buy some fall-ish things this weekend just to say we have some at the house. 

Speaking of fall, I'm curious to see how Pax will react to his Halloween costume, too.  He hasn't seen it yet.  He will either be Buzz Lightyear or Superman (we have both).  I'm a little worried because the boy can't stand for anything to be on his head, so he might just be Superman by default.  At least he won't be a chicken this year!  Ella is going to be Minnie Mouse...red polka dot dress and ears!  Presh!  I am excited just to take them around in their wagon on Halloween night.



...and I want the candy too!

I just thought this cartoon was a trip!