The chef next door

My in-laws are so lucky; they have a chef living right next door! Chef Doug Maitland, although he is officially "retired," is still working like a crazy man in his kitchen. He makes a new, creative meal every week available for order, and he delivers them right to your door each Wednesday! For less than $10, you can have a scrumptious meal, complete with dessert, hand-made by a chef, with local, home-grown ingredients. Nathan and I have been fortunate enough to sample three or four of these meals, and we have never been disappointed. They are delicious!

Chef Doug is a vegetarian, so you won't find any meat in his dishes, but please don't let that stop you from giving them a try. You'll never miss those animals, believe me! Also, he has begun to offer breakfast tacos, muffins, and the like for breakfast orders on Fridays, and additional treats like homemade salsa for purchase anytime (while supplies last). 

This is what we ate on Wednesday evening:

Shirlea’s Shells: Large Pasta Shells Stuffed w/Mixture of Three Cheeses, Spinach & Zucchini, in Light, Savory, Summer Garden Marinara

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Hearty Tuscan-Style White Bean Soup w/Fresh Basil Pesto

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Toasted French Bread Tossed in Italian Herbs

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Tender, Locally-Grown Broccoli Florets in Garlic Butter

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Mom’s Favorite Italian Cream Cake

It was so good, I think I was licking the plate afterward. 

Okay, maybe not, but it was awesome. :)

Shameless plug for a family friend? You betcha!! He's a nice guy, and he loves the Alexander family dearly. We most definitely want to keep supporting him as much as we can. Please let me know if you're in the Bastrop area and you would like to receive weekly menus via e-mail. I can let you know how to get in touch with him. There is something new and different every week, and you won't have to cook dinner, which is always a big plus.

And again...

I was hoping that I might be able to announce that we were having a baby in a few weeks, but I'm afraid I do not have that news to share. We are now at our third loss this year. The good news? There doesn't seem to be a single thing wrong with me. At least I've discovered that I'm good at something. It's important to have a talent.

Did you know that at least 1/3 of all pregnancies (or more) end in miscarriage (in the first trimester)? That means, ladies, that you've probably had one and just didn't know it. Unfortunately for me, I know my body very well, and I can tell when I'm pregnant (before a test would even give me a positive result), so I get to watch the whole thing happen.

My OB did an ultrasound and blood test, and basically said that everything is fine. We grilled him with every question we could think of, and he feels that we're just in a rut of bad luck. He said that he could start running tests for autoimmune disorders, but seriously doubts he'll find anything. I agree with him. If I had an autoimmune disorder, I'd probably know it by now. Anyway, we're just going to track my hCG level down to zero to make sure everything was expelled, so that means another blood test in a couple of weeks. As of Monday, the level was only 18, which basically tells me that this baby probably never even started to develop. He said to wait a couple of cycles and try again. We shall see, I suppose...

Nathan took me to Subway after the appointment, since neither of us had eaten anything the whole day. As we were walking in, I remembered that the last time we were at Subway together was following my D&C in April. For some reason, this struck me as humorous. At least when I lose a baby, I get a meal out of it! Hey, what else can I do at this point but laugh? I told him that I was a shoe-in for Most Miscarriages of 2010 for the Guiness Book of World Records. I mean, we could get a few more in before December. There might be some financial rewards in store. Then we could build another addition onto the house, hire a maid, etc. It might be worth it, in the end. :) 

You guys know I'm only joking, right? I am upset, naturally. There is, however, nothing I can do at this point but wait and see, so I'm waiting. If we're not meant to have more children, it's okay. I love my three more than anything in the world, and am so lucky and blessed to have such incredible, intelligent kiddos. They're also much, much cuter than anyone else's kids...sorry. I don't really think our family is complete right now, but if that is the case, then I'm prepared to accept that.

Who wouldn't want more?

They're so stinkin' adorable!

I have so much to be thankful for, and I feel selfish for wanting more out of life. I suppose that's normal. I love spending time with my munchkins and my wonderful hubby, and I can't imagine being without them. One day I hope to see the babies I lost, but I will spend every second I've got loving the babies I have.

Dr. Seuss would be so proud

A few months ago, I got back in touch with a relative of mine that I hadn't seen in quite a few years. My third cousin, Andrea, came to my wedding (almost eight years ago), and that was the last time I saw her. Thanks to the fabulous online world of Facebook, we've reconnected and gotten to be friends! In that time, Andrea discovered that she has a talent for painting shirts, so now she makes custom orders and sells them. I was super excited about this because I had some shirts I'd been wanting to get for the boys for a long time, and they were really expensive every place I'd looked. So, I decided to ask Andrea if she could make them. The end result was AWESOME!!

 They love their shirts!

The best part about all this is that Andrea delivered the shirts herself and brought her little boy, James, to play with my munchkins at my parents' house. Her mom, Cary, came as well, so my mom got to see her cousin for the first time in years. It was so great to get to visit and catch up with one another! I think the kids had a lot of fun together, and we'll definitely have to do it again really soon.

Andrea and her satisfied customers.

She made a surprise shirt for Zoe as well, but I haven't taken a picture of her wearing it yet. It's so cute! I'm already trying to figure out what else I want her to make for us. :) I'm sure I could come up with a lot of things!

Nothing in life is free

This morning, my oldest child decided he wanted to "build a zoo" for all his little animals. He hauled out the giant box of Duplo blocks and began construction in the middle of his bedroom floor. He invited me to come to the zoo when it was finished, so I asked him how much it cost. He said that it didn't cost anything, but he had a very puzzled look on his face. I explained that zoos usually charge an admittance fee (because they have to pay for food for the animals, water, etc.). His eyes lit up, and he decided that I would have to pay to view the animals. :) I hope he takes invisible money.

The project only lasted for about ten minutes before it was abandoned, but it was cute to hear the boys talking together, explaining everything.

"This is where the elephants live. They need a big fence."

"There's a lion statue over here."

"Where does the crocodile live?"

"This lady wants to go see the zebras."

Poor Nick-Nick. I think he was still half asleep.

Now they've moved on to playing with cars. It doesn't take long for them to switch gears, and I have to work hard to keep up. Especially today...my energy level is at about -5, and I just want to sit and stare at the wall, honestly.

Needless to say, we are not going to Bible study this morning. I'm so tired. I can't get myself together, and I just don't have it in me today to gather stuff for all three kids and get out the door on time. Sorry, God!! I'm sure you'll teach me a lesson later. I'll be waiting. I will miss all the ladies, though (and Beth!). Truly, it's my loss.

Another momentous occasion this week: Zoe is wearing shoes! This is a big deal, because she's afraid of them. No, I'm not kidding. She likes to play with them, but when someone tries to put them on her feet, she freaks out and throws herself down on the floor, kicking and screaming. I found a cute (cheap) pair of canvas Mary Janes at Wal-Mart, and she loves them. We've just spent an hour putting them on and taking them off, over and over again. 

 I love the look I'm getting in this picture.

She doesn't have an attitude at all. Really.

Wonder if they're strawberry flavored?

I suppose I'm going to go and clean up the breakfast aftermath in the kitchen while the kids are semi-occupied. Hope you all have a terrific Friday and a wonderful weekend!

The Third Installment

On Sunday afternoon, we took the boys to see Toy Story 3. It was their first in-theater movie, and I was a little concerned that they wouldn't be able to make it through the entire thing, or that they would be freaked out or overwhelmed. After all, they're only 3.5 and 2.5.

I was very wrong. They did SO well! I was extremely impressed. They sat still through the entire movie, didn't talk, and didn't try to escape (Nicholas). We had so much fun! The movie was fabulous...we laughed a lot. I would definitely encourage you to go see it if you haven't already. It's really great.

A few weeks ago, my mom bought the boys Toy Story shirts, and they insisted on wearing them when we went to the movie. So cute.

 They're so proud.

Hope you're all having a great week so far! :)

Rainy Day Fun

This weather sucks. The kids get stir-crazy because we can't venture out, so I have to try to come up with lots of things to keep them busy or someone might get hurt (Nicky). Today, we decided to have some Play-Doh fun. My kids love the stuff. I never think to buy it when we're at the store, so we didn't have any until recently. I love my Aunt Lisa and her random gifts!

 Woohoo! Lots of fun in this box!

All three goobers (and Mommy) had a blast making all kinds of multicolored things while we watched the rain pouring down outside. Good times.

Nicky's bird.

I love the grin.

Zoe had fun taking the dough out of the can, putting it right back in, and smashing it down with her fingers.

I think he was figuring out how to make a snake.

Like this one.

At least she didn't eat it!

I learned something about Play-Doh today. If you have a child with a gluten allergy, you shouldn't let them play with it. Check it out...

Weird, huh? Something I never knew.

So, we have a new rainy day activity that everyone loves. I think we might attempt some artsy-craftsy stuff next week, if Mommy feels bold enough.

Odd Little Things

I had a couple of random things to share today. Hopefully, at least one person will find this humorous.

So, about a mile or two from our house, there's a guy who recently decorated his SUV.
Extra-large picture coming up...

  Yep. There it is.

I even nicely blurred the license plate.

Now, to every person that just asked, "What's so funny about that?", you need a good slap in the face. Ahem...allow the English teacher in me to explain it to you.

"your" = possessive, as in "Your vehicle has never looked worse."

"you're" = contraction for "you are," as in "You're a moron if you don't get it."

*Don't even get me started on their, they're, and there. That's a novel waiting to happen.*

The real story here: One afternoon, I was trying to get home from a rather long grocery store adventure, and I ended up behind this guy. Dude was going 15 in a 30, on the wrong side of the road. Ironic? I think so. Apparently, horrific grammatical skills adversely affect a person's ability to drive. Who knew?

Something else completely random...

While at my mother's house the other day, my kids and I decided to bust out the markers and construction paper for a little artistic time. I started looking at all the weird names for the different shades of color, and came across these:

How many people do you know that are "terra cotta"?

I can't think of anyone.

 Except maybe an Oompa-Loompa or two.

The thing that really bothered me about these is that there isn't a "Casper the Friendly Ghost" shade that would suit yours truly over here. How is someone supposed to draw me? Heh.

Hope you all have a great night. And next time you color a picture, be sure to use the multicultural markers to avoid offending someone. :)

The Fifth of July

Since we didn't actually celebrate on the fourth, here is my belated holiday post. May our country forgive me. I won't post a bunch of pictures, because we basically did the same things on Memorial Day, but there are a few I want to share. 

 I remember putting the slide into out little plastic swimming pool when I was a kid. Fun!

I think I put our little trampoline in there, too.

Jazz hands!

This is my new favorite picture.

And, for the record, this is the only time when fat and a bikini are a good combination.

My little waterbug and her Grammy.

According to Nicholas, they are eating "Hopsittles."

Then, of course, we had to head inside for lunchtime and naps. Once dinnertime rolled around, my grandparents came over. It was so good to see them! It's hard to visit at their house because it's not an easy place to childproof, and it's a little difficult to venture over there by myself with all the kiddos. We really need to try, though, because they love to see us, and we don't get to spend much time with them anymore. Now that the boys are older, I think we could probably handle it better.

Anyway, my dad made brisket, ribs and sausage, and it was SO good! Lucky for us, there was more than enough food, so I got to take some home. Mmmm...my refrigerator smells delicious.

It was a good day. I hope you all got to spend time with friends and family, and that you have a spectac

Artistic Interpretation

My mom and dad live in a good spot to view the annual fireworks show here in Bastrop, and they wanted the boys to come and watch it with them this year. Since they don't start until about 9:00 (past bedtime), it was decided that the boys could spend the night at Grammy and Granddad's, then go to church with them this morning.

Ethan and Nicholas stayed in my mom's classroom for Sunday school (she teaches the three and four year-olds). While in the classroom, Ethan completed an art project that was so hilarious and adorable that I just have to share it. It was a stapled-together construction paper book entitled, "My Family." I managed to snag the book and take pictures before it got manhandled.

This first picture is Daddy.

He looks surprised, don't you think?

This is Mommy.

Apparently, I'm leaking something blue.

I should get that checked out.

 His self-portrait.

This is Nick-Nick. 

He has a floating eye.

And he bears a strange resemblance to Mike Wasowski from Monsters, Inc.

 

See?

This is my favorite one. It's Zoe.

Look how much smaller she is! Ha ha!

This is Grammy.

She has more teeth than anyone else.

And this is Granddad.

Either he has really long arms, or he's been stabbed with something.

I love it; it cracks me up. He was so proud of his artwork. We got detailed explanations about each of the drawings and who they were supposed to be, and he showed us at least a dozen times. Then, he wanted me to take the staples out of the book so he could distribute the individual pictures to everyone. They were strewn all over the house.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a marvelous Fourth of July! We haven't really celebrated yet, but we're going to my parents' tomorrow for some BBQ and swimming! I'm sure you'll all be subjected to a photographic presentation, as I am taking my camera. :)

Oh, and I almost forgot. Church this morning was actually really awesome! Three military men came with their families and gave an incredible praise and worship service. The music was outstanding...seriously talented guys! Afterward, we had a lunch fellowship and enjoyed some pretty decent fried chicken with all the fixings. It was a good morning.

Remember why we're celebrating...and Happy Fourth to everyone!

This is going to bore you all. Too bad.

Truly crappy week. Blah.

Zoe has developed a really bad ear infection as a result of all the crud we've been dealing with (for more than a week now). Luckily, she's started some antibiotics, so that should make a massive difference in another 24 hours or so. I'm feeling a little better, but I think I may have an ear infection as well. I can't do anything about it at the moment, so we'll just see how I feel on Monday. The only annoying part is that my ears are so stopped up from the congestion that I can't hear anything. I would like to apologize to anyone I've ignored or yelled at in the last few days...I didn't mean it!

I've had a couple of people comment on our insurance situation ("I hope you have good insurance!"). Well, our insurance is good, when we actually get to the point that we can use it. We currently have two separate insurance policies. One for me, and one for Nathan and the kids. Nathan is, as you know, self-employed. This means that we have to insure ourselves, which costs an obscene fortune. To keep the monthly payments cheap, we have a high deductible. So, for each policy, we have to reach $5000 before the insurance will actually pay for anything. On each policy. Yep, that's $10,000, folks. :) It would be better if we were all on the same policy with one deductible, and we'll probably fix that soon, but none of this insurance covers maternity (unless you want to pay a ton of extra money each month), and I have a slight maternity benefit on my policy. Since I seem to find myself in a "family way" fairly often, we thought we'd hang on to it for a while.

I know, it's boring. But there it is. The truly sad thing: I've actually met my deductible for the year already. After the viral/bacterial stuff earlier this year, the D&C and all the OB appointments for the miscarriages, we've already shelled out that preliminary five grand. Nice, huh? I suppose the positive side to all that is any other appointments this year should be a lot cheaper.

This is why we complain when we have to take someone to the doctor, or when something medically necessary comes along. So, just suck it up. :)

In other news, my kids are misbehaving more this week than they ever have before. I think it might be the weather. I love them more than anything, but I'm thinking about duct tape and rope right now. Too bad they're so darn cute...it just might save them.