Favorite Things

I am VERY much not a dancer (I am quite uncoordinated), but I like the idea of dancing and dream that one day I might find myself with the coordination, skill, and confidence to do so. At any rate, I enjoy watching people dance in ways I never could, whether it be at weddings or on TV or wherever. A friend turned me on to So You Think You Can Dance this season and I've actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I've found that what I enjoy the very most are the contemporary (and even hip-hop) pieces that really tell a story. (More often than not, my favorite dances are choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo) The season isn't over yet, but this piece below is my absolute favorite of the season about a couple who are angry with each other and just can't sleep until it's all resolved. Love it!

* I just realized the image on this video before it plays looks questionable. Oops! It's a great dance though and not really at all like it might appear!

Progress

This summer, we've spent time off and on working on shapes and letters with Abby. At the beginning of the summer she was really having trouble making the connection between what her eyes saw and her hands were doing. However, over the past few weeks she's just blown me away with how well she's doing and how hard she is really working at it.

I've actually felt bad for her on a few occasions. She'll be working on a particular letter (last week it was "K") and she won't get it just right (according to her standards) and she'll get so mad at herself. It's pitiful to watch. No matter how much you try to encourage and console her, she's convinced she won't be ready for Kindergarten. I think we might have a little perfectionist on our hands. At any rate, today when we got out our colors, she was asking how to write everyone's name... and she was doing a great job!

It's so exciting to be able to watch your kids grow and develop right before your eyes and to discover, right along with them, the people that they are becoming. What a blessing.

Italian Nachos

Last summer while eating at Carino's with family, Aaron and I tried these Italian Nachos that they had. They. Were. Life-changing. Well, the other day I got to craving this culinary delight, and, being at the end of a pay period, going out to eat was not an option. Thank God for the internet because yesterday I found a recipe, and tonight for dinner, I took a stab at making these Italian Nachos.

Italian Nachos
Serves 2-4


1 Package wontons (found in the produce section), cut on the diagonal to form triangles
1 package ground pork, cook in a saute pan until browned
1 6-ounce package grilled chicken pieces (sometimes found in the salad section)
1 jar Pepperochini peppers (I got mild)
Shaved Parmesan for garnish
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup sliced olives
jalepenos (optional)

For the Cheese Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality Parmesan

1. In a heavy, medium saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and then the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half-and-half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; add 2 cups of the grated Parmesan. Season with the salt, pepper and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat a heavy saucepan or deep fryer to medium. Cook the wontons until light brown. This only takes a few seconds per side. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

3. Pile the wontons on a large serving platter. Drizzle with warm cheese sauce. Add sausage, chicken, tomatoes, olives and peppers. Top with shaved Parmesan. EAT IT!



*Photo from Divine Domesticity

Friends

We have a full house today! Our cousins Jackson and Reagan, as well as our friends Kyle, Emily, and Ethan are over and we're having a giant playdate! So far everything has gone exceedingly well and we're having tons of fun. What great kids! They even let me get my camera out and take some pictures! (Although Carson and Jackson weren't too thrilled at the idea.)

Of course, what playdate would be complete without my son tackling poor, innocent Jackson, trying to steal a toy from him. Poor kid.

The Salon and the Fancy Restaurant

Today was fairly uneventful, but fun. Aaron was at Directors' Retreat yesterday and today so we missed him, but we managed to stay busy. (Like that's a difficult task around here!)

Abby starts school at Believers Academy in 3 weeks or so, and today we went to try on uniforms. She thought that was pretty exciting. But that paled in comparison to what she got to do next. She's been asking for months to get her hair cut at a real salon, so I surprised her while we were at the mall and she got to go get her hair cut. It's really cute (especially when she lets me fix it). Looks like a cute 20's bob, stacked in the back. It's put me in the mood to do the vintage family portraits I've been wanting to try. (See my inspiration here.)

Carson is back to being loud and full of energy now that Abby is back from her trip to Mattie and Grandaddy's. It's definitely a little crazier around here than it was last week, but it's sweet watching the two of them together. They seem to have a new appreciation for each other after being apart so long. Aaron overheard Abby complaining about not being able to carry some chairs back to the playroom tonight because they were too heavy, and Carson walked in and gallantly declared, "I will help you, Abby!" He is very into being a "saver" lately and a helper. It's cute.

This afternoon, I wanted to do something fun with the kids, but it being the end of the month (hence the end of the $), I decided to get creative. So I whipped up a "fancy" dessert and invited them to my "gourmet" restaurant where they were waited upon and we laughed and had a good time and life was good. Cost: $1.50 (if that).

Fancy Dessert
1 pkg. sugar-free chocolate pudding
Cool Whip
chocolate syrup

And at the end of the day, Aaron came home earlier than expected and we all had time to hang out and be a family and there was much happiness.

Tomorrow, there will be seven kids at my house all day. That may make for an interesting blog post. :) Stay tuned.

Welcome to Our Family Blog!

It's time. I've been meaning to start a family blog for a long time. Just another thing on my long list of to-dos. But I'm really excited that this is finally happening! I am looking forward to -- if even only for my own sake -- documenting our life as a family and the simple, everyday things that [I am already learning] all too quickly fade from memory.

Thanks for stopping by! We'd love to hear from you so leave comments from time to time!

Love,
Aaron, Bre, and kids