Liam's First Surf Lessons

When I found out I was pregnant with a boy, I got excited thinking about all the fun things Mike and our little one would do together. Swimming, surfing, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, fishing, lacrosse and baseball. Today was the first surf lesson and it was great! Liam really loved being on the board and had a great time. Can't wait till next time!



While at the beach today we saw three rays swim by us. We couldn't get a really close look but they looked like baby manta rays.  There was also a huge pod of dolphins that swam by.  It was another beautiful day at the beach!

Are Times Really This Tough?

Today while looking around on Momlogic.com I came across this article about woman learning to give themselves cervical exams. My eyes just about popped out of my head! There are a million DIY projects I would love to try but this is definitely not one! Are times really that tough?

Learning a New Hobby

Six years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to knit. It seemed the whole world was getting into knitting and I felt left out. A lady I worked with was a great knitter and she said it was super easy. She showed me the basics and said it would take lots of practice. I had a book, supplies, needles and determination but it wasn't enough. Mike got a big kick out of watching me get so frustrated. Needless to say, the supplies got sold at a yard sale!
For anyone that doesn't know me well, I am a professed picker. My hands are constantly in motion playing with my hair, messing with my nails, picking at something, rubbing my fingers, scratching an itch or messing with my rings. This has been a huge problem for me my whole life and I have tried to control the urge. Stress just makes everything worse!
Last year I got another itch but this time it was to learn how to crochet. Again, I bought a "teach yourself" book and yarn, got my hopes up and failed again! I am the type of person that has to be shown how to do something. The instructions might as well have been written in french! Thankfully, last week my friend Brooke's mom was in town and knows how to crochet. She brought all her stuff and promised to try teaching me the basics. Thankfully, she is a retired special-ed teacher and good at what she does!

I am still working hard, trying to be consistent, but not sure why it seems to be getting smaller! But hopefully I will figure it all out soon. Crocheting is pretty relaxing. Check back to see how it's going.

Disappointing Recipes

The most difficult part of being a Wanna-Be Domestic Goddess, in my opinion, is dinner time. Somehow I need to come up with a yummy, balanced (OK semi-balanced) meal that will be loved by all. Having a three year old makes this task almost impossibly, especially if he is in a mood!
This week I made quite the menu for the next two weeks. I found a bunch of good recipes in an old Everyday Food (issue 45) magazine that I figured we could try and then some of my staples. The creamy pasta with squash and bacon (pg.28) looked promising since the squash is plentiful this time of year. After burning two fingers in boiling water (not paying attention will get you every time) I got the meal on the table. I followed the recipe and even seasoned more than called for and it was still flat. Don't you hate when that happens? Martha assures me everyday on her show that they test recipes over and over to make sure they work. What happened Martha???? Where was the flavor? If you try this recipe I recommend more garlic, more salt and pepper (lots more) and maybe some other veggies.
This recipe was helpful because I now know how to make a super quick creamy sauce. I hope the rest of my new recipes turn out a little better! Have a delicious week!

Going Private

If you are currently reading this post you are one of the select few. Unfortunately I have to make my blog private this week due to some not nice people. When I started this blog I really didn't intend to post a whole lot of pictures of Liam or my family, but they are my life. My everyday revolves around taking care of them and loving my boys.
Hopefully, one day these people will leave my family alone and I will be able to go public again. Thank you all for understanding.

Mel

Why We Love Where We Live

Another Fun Filled Weekend

The thing we love most about living in Pensacola is all the great festivals and events. Every Thursday evening we go a great park on the bay for music and the sunset. This weekend was the Pensacola Craw fish Festival so we headed there on Saturday. Liam got to hold his first craw fish (alive) and participate in a craw fish race. Our #3 was not the winner but it was pretty funny to watch!





Have you ever had the chance to ride on an African Pygmy Elephant? Well the LeCroy's did and we didn't pass it up! The Zoo of Northwest Florida was hosting two amazing Pygmy Elephants who were in town for the local production of Aida (I think). On Sunday we headed to the zoo bright and early and waited patiently. Mike, Liam and I climbed on Congo, a 31yr old female, and took our short but wonderful ride. The Owner/Trainer who was leading Congo and was super nice and answered our questions.
I am so very proud of Liam for not being scared at all and for being almost as excited as mommy! One of Mike and I parenting goals is to make sure Liam experiences life to the fullest. I think we are doing a pretty good job so far!




To finish out the weekend Liam is taking his first ride in Mike's Jeep with the top off. Surprised? For some reason I never thought it was a good idea to have a fair skinned, wee tot in the back of a jacked up jeep with no top! Call me crazy! Mike needed to run some errands and Liam requested they take the jeep with no top! I guess now that he is 3 he is big enough. Hope they have fun and Liam doesn't get sunburned!

A Great Day!

Liam and I had a crazy busy day on Wednesday. We left the house early for an apt and then we met our play group friends at a restaurant on Pensacola that has a playground. The kids played, we all ate lunch then some of us headed to the beach! The kids had a great time in the water and playing in the sand. There's nothing better than a great sunny Florida day!
On Wednesday evening Baskin Robbins was having their $.31 scoop night! Who can pass up super cheap but delicious ice cream? Not the LeCroy's! The yearly even supports firefighters somehow and they had a local fire truck and firefighters in the parking lot. Ice cream and a fire truck that you can climb all over?! It's every three year old's dream!