Lightning Tiger/Tigress

After the longest ultrasound I have ever had (which is saying a lot since I had at least 4 before I graduated high school) we still aren't 100% sure the sex of Lightning Tiger. We do know however that all the organs, bones, parts and pieces are present and in the right location. I was a little worried for a second when the Tech was looking at the hands because one looked like a hook. Thankfully it was just a weird angle. The tech spent over an hour scanning and checked the sex at least three times. Apparently LT is a red head because it's leg's were crossed or too close together every time. The tech, Mike and I all agreed that it looked to us like Lightning Tiger is a Tigress!

At this moment I am terrified to buy pink in case we find out everyone was wrong. Right now I am researching 4D ultrasound clinics and will hopefully be able to get one done next month. Nothing like a drama!

Until next time!

20 Weeks

I am finally starting to look pregnant. That period of wondering if people are thinking I'm just fat and need to do crunches is over! This past week or two I have popped out and Lightning Tiger is kicking hard enough to feel it with a well placed and patient hand. Needless to say Liam has yet to feel anything. He has a problem sitting still long enough and this morning his hand was too cold. Keep your fingers crossed that all is well and we will find out what Lightning Tiger is Aug. 26.

Short Notice

Some friends called Thursday night while I was out with the girls to ask if I could make a little wedding cake. A friend of theirs is getting married today and they are throwing a little party after. I couldn't just make a little one layer cake because that doesn't feel "wedding" to me. This little jewel is an 8in and 6 in round chocolate cake. I started baking around 3pm Friday and finished decorating at 0945am Saturday. Hope the happy couple enjoy it!

RANT

Eight-teen years ago my parents moved us to the Mid Ohio Valley. My dad, who works for the power company, had been transferred to Gavin Power Plant in Galia County, Ohio. The area wasn't known for their good schools and neither were the surrounding areas so my parents looked elsewhere. They finally settled on Warren School District in Washington County, Ohio which was easily 45 min to an hour away from my dad's new job. Distance was not an issue. My parents were smart and wanted to live in an area with good school and in a place they thought would have good resale value. All are VERY important when you could end up moving in a few years.

I HATED it! We had just left a fantastic town (Bethel, Ohio) that was close to Cincinnati and had fantastic shopping! I was stranded on a golf course with no neighborhood kids. The school was old and I was stuck back into an elementary school in 6th grade because they didn't have a separate middle school. The area had no private swim club like we had in Bethel and the shopping SUCKED! Eventually, I grew to like the area enough not to run away! When I graduated high school I couldn't wait to get away from it all though.

I chose to go to Kent State University because it was pretty far from home, I didn't know of anyone from my graduating class going there and the first guy I saw on campus at Orientation was cute. Most of the kids I met were from Northern Ohio and when we started talking about the schools we had come from I got really annoyed. All of them had newer high schools, awesome clubs and programs and technology we could have only dreamt of having. I ended up being the girl that came from the crappy country school that had drive your tractor to school day!

Sadly for my old school district the bond levies were always voted down. Our school district is HUGE but all rural with no zoning (except where my parents live). You could have a really nice house next to a falling apart and abandoned trailer. The area also has lots of old folks that aren't big on change. Sadly, yesterday the bond issue was voted down again and the school board is giving up. The comments on the newspapers website says it all. People saying they voted no for reasons that have nothing to do with the issue. One person actually posted they had voted No because they see girls walking around in shorts so short their asses hang out. It said that if the school can't stick to a dress code how can they stick to a budget. It's small minded, ignorant people like that that hold back the future of America. The MOV is considered Appalachia and it seems this part doesn't want to improve itself. One of the areas my parents chose not to move into got a new high school YEARS ago. It's just as bad off financially as Warren but people know what's important. I feel so sad for my Alma mater and the people that I know that still live there with their children. I will never understand the thinking of the people who voted NO. I wonder how many of them have children and want their children to have a future. My education was not nearly as good as my friends from Northern Ohio and that was 11 years ago.

Now it just seems like a waiting game. Wonder how long before the State steps in, takes over the school and raises the property taxes anyway?

Preggo Brain!

Anyone mother can tell you the effects pregnancy tends to have on the brain. I haven't done my research to see if there is a medical link but any that has been pregnant once can vouch. Symptoms tend to include:

• Forgetfulness
• Train of thought loss
• Concept of Time loss
• Loss of Patience

Today is a prefect example. We were invited to a birthday party a week or two ago for a friend's daughter who is turning 1. I RSVP yes, told Mike, and even volunteered to make the Smash Cake. This morning the boys went off to work on the boy car, I cleaned the kitchen, got dinner in the crock pot, started laundry and went to chill with the computer and FB. One of my girlfriends, who is also invited to this party, replied to my post that I missed "baking a cake." This comment put me in a panic. I called my friend to confirm the party is today at 3pm. Mind you this all happened around 10:30am or 11. Needless to say I have been running around the kitchen like a mad cake baker! Within the hour I got the cake baking in the oven and the frosting made. I have not been able to get a hold of Mike to make sure he is home by 2. Right now I am just keeping my fingers crossed that in the next two hours I can:

• Shower
• Wrap birthday present
• Cool Cake
• Ice and decorate cake
• Get to Party on Time

From now on I will remember to write these things on the Calendar in the hallway. Thankfully I had everything needed in the house to get this cake made. I would feel AWFUL if Jayla didn't have a smash cake for her party. Come back and check to see if I manage to pull this off!

Breaking Records

I have set some new personal bests:

1. Gained 10lbs in 16 weeks (at least I have pregnancy to blame)
2. Done 0 loads of laundry in 2 weeks (thanks honey for picking up a little of my slack)
3. Ignored the crumbs on the kitchen floor for 2 weeks.

I am pretty sure there are other records that were recently broken but I think embarrassment is blinding me. Sunday has been spent doing some serious cleaning and at least the ground floor is worthy of guests. Sometimes we have to admit our flaws publicly so we can be shamed to take care of things.

My sister Megan visited with us for almost 2 weeks and we had a great time. She left us on Saturday and Liam has asked when she is coming back. He really doesn't think she needs to see any other countries. 

Lightning Tiger is 16 weeks along and doing well. We will have our ultrasound at the end of August and hopefully we will see a healthy little being and find out the sex. Mike is positive it's a boy and I am leaning toward girl due to some differences in this pregnancy. I hope it's not a boy because we have not been able to agree on boy names! Mike comes up with some very crazy names.

Till next time!

Italy Trip

My husband very kindly booked a trip for me to go to Italy for a weekend of cooking classes. The trip is ran by a company that operates Italian "restaurants" in the overseas commissaries called Gourmet Italia. Larry Pisoni , the owner of the company, is born and raised Italian and is married to wonderful woman, Carol who is from the DC area. They have been doing these cooking classes all over Italy for the last 20 years with a focus on the Mediterranean Cuisine.

Our class was pretty large and full of American Military and Govt Contractors from all over Europe. Everyone was very nice and they made the trip even better. Our weekend took place in the Asiago area of Italy and we stayed at a wonderful hotel. My travel companion flaked at the last minute so I got a big room all to myself.

The view from my balcony.

The cooking classes were more like demonstrations with some hands on. I was very happy that Marco (our chef) taught us how to make gnocchi and risotto. I have attempted risotto once but wasn't sure if it was done properly. Marco used red wine to make the risotto and it was fantastic!

Every meal involved a lot of food! Lunch was three courses (the third being desert) and dinner was usually four or five courses. I have never eaten so much in such a short span of time! At least I can claim pregnancy for the tummy I developed.

Our class also went to an Asiago cheese factory. As a known cheese lover it was like going to heaven!

This is the ageing/storage room that had to be almost three stories tall.

Overall it was a wonderful trip and a great experience. I am very happy Mike made me go on this trip and hope to be forced to take more trips in the future!

This will take you to all the photos I took over the course of the trip.

Italy Cooking Trip

Overpacker...

I have always been an over packer when it comes to trips. One must always have choices especially when you don't know what to expect from the weather. The problem with being an over packer these days are all the carry on requirements and having to pay extra to check baggage. In Europe you can get super cheap flights on the budget airlines but their rules and fees regarding luggage are crazy. It's all part of the way to squeeze every pence from your pocket. You have to pay a fee if you wait to check in at the airport, checked baggage fee, no free snacks or drinks, and they even want to have pay toilets on the plane (hasn't happened yet but I am sure it will soon!)

How does an over packer pack for a 4 day trip in a small carry-on? A carry-on that I'm not even sure will meet the tiny requirements of 21.7 inches * 15.7 inches * 7.9 inches. My bag is packed with:

1 pair jeans

2 knit dresses

1 pair pj's

4 tops

3 camis

1 bathing suit

5 pair undies

1 book

1 DSLR camera

1 FLIP

toiletries

purse and contents

And hopefully snacks!

I just hope this thing weighs less than 20lbs!

Getting Old...

You know you are getting old when your niece graduates from high school! OK, so I was only in 6Th grade when she was born but it still makes me feel old!

My niece has grown into a beautiful, intelligent and well rounded young lady. I truly feel she has a very bright future in front of her as long as she stays true to what she wants in life. It's not easy trying to plan your future and make the right choices. I know a few of my choices weren't in my original plan!

I wish I was able to be with you today Kelsea. Know that I love you and I am so very proud of the person you are and the person I know you will be. Stay true to your heart and follow your own dream. The most important thing to remember is that no matter what, we love you and will always be in your corner cheering you on and supporting you 150%. Forget the bad, stay in the present, and keep looking to the future.

Another Chapter Begins

Shortly after Liam turned 1 yrs old, and people started asking the inevitable question, Mike stated he didn't want to have more kiddos. . It took me by surprise to be honest. Mike stated he wanted Liam to be able to do whatever he wanted, wanted us to be able to travel easily as a family and financially it made since. After a while I got used to the idea. Liam and I have always done a lot of traveling and it's easy to take a toddler on a plane when you only have one.

With every move and new stage, the baby items were sold or given away. When preparing for our move to England, I asked Mike one more time if he was sure we were done. "Yes!" The last of the items were sold. The only item we have from Liam's infancy are some "keeper" clothes, crib, bedding and mobile. It's sad to part with cute stuff you child enjoyed so, but they are being enjoyed by others. My friend Brooke sent me a picture of Cece playing with the kitchen we gave them and it made my day!

Shortly after arriving in England, Mike started his mission to get a Land Rover Discovery. My boys and their need for 4wheel toys! Don't get me wrong they are nice and I enjoyed test driving one but they are HUGE! Even though they are UK cars they are monsters in comparison to other cars and parking spots! My comment was that a Discovery is a family car and we would need more than 1 child to justify it's purchase. Who would have thought that a few days later, my hubby would tell me he had changed his mind. "If you would like to have another baby I am cool with the idea." WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?! Three years of stead fast NO and then all of a sudden he has a change of heart? Was it because he had just turned 40? There were many discussions that followed to get to the root of the matter. I realised he was serious.

A few months later and we are 10 weeks pregnant. Liam is excited and will make a fantastic Big Brother.




I have already started the hunt for good baby deals. So far I have picked up a highchair, bouncy seat, new infant seat, and Mike got a diaper bag. All for under $200! It helps being in a military community where people are moving all the time!

This will be an interesting journey.

First Paid Cake Gig

Meet Sponge bob Square Cake Pants. I made this rather large cake for a 4Th birthday party. He turned out great, tasted great and made the birthday boy happy. This is the first cake I was asked to make after people saw Liam's cake. I am pretty sure there will be a few more to come in the future.

Lucky

 I am one of the luckiest people in this world because I was privileged enough to have fantastic parents. I am reminded almost daily of how lucky I have always been. My parents are generous, encouraging, fun and loving people. Regardless of how often I tell them how much they mean to me I don't think I could ever express it enough.

I truly believe that wonderful parents are the result of wonderful parents. There are exceptions to this rule (and I know quite a few) but I am a firm believe in this statement.

Thank you Mom and Dad!

A Good Laugh...

Have you ever caught yourself laughing hysterically at a stranger's child? Did you feel bad about it? Today we were at a fair/bazaar on base. Tons of families everywhere enjoying a day of buying large pieces of furniture that the government will have to ship back to the states, and of course fantastic junk. Any who! I was hanging out at a bouncy house watching Liam jump and slam himself around when I say the funniest thing ever! (I would like to note I was not the only mother who witnessed this kids blooper and she was laughing just as hard as myself. )  This larger child, maybe 8 or 10 yrs old, is standing a ways from the bouncy house (which sits on a tarp). He belts out "BONZIIIIIIII" and starts to charge for the bouncy house but trips on the tarp, rams his head into the "step", and is bounced back on his ass. It was one of those moments that I was dying to have my flip. It was so funny, but maybe you just had to be there!

Another Year Older...Another Funtastic Party!

Liam's 4Th birthday party was Sunday and it was a success. The hit of the party was the bouncy house of course. Liam did tell me at bedtime he wished I would have planned games?! Who knows where that came from because he has yet to attend a party with games. I told him next year I would be SURE to have some fun games planned.

The cake turned out pretty good and everyone had at least one piece. I neglected to get many pictures of the room before everyone started showing up. One hour to decorate was not enough! The food catered from the Club was just OK. I really do prefer having cookout birthdays. But all in all it was a great party. The only thing missing were the grandparents and our Pensacola Pals!

Marshmallow Fondant

My cake decorating instructor told us all about a cool recipe she had seen on Wilton.com for marshmallow fondant. Most people aren't huge fans on fondants flavor but it looks great when done well. Marshmallow fondant is easy to make, cheap, and made from marshmallow!!! Need I say more? I found a recipe/tutorial on a great blog called Cake Journal and gave it a go. SO easy to make but a bit of a mess. (Well at least the way I made it.) If you would like to give the recipe a try you can find it here.

This week will be super nuts with me trying to get Liam's birthday cake complete and looking presentable. I will post pictures as soon as I can of both cake and party. Fingers crossed everything falls into place. If you know me at all you will know I like to make sure I top my previous projects.

Birthday Time Again!

Liam's 4th birthday is right around the corner and party planning has begun! I LIVE to throw parties! This year Liam is wanting an Imagination Movers party. The sad part is Disney has not come to their senses and started putting out Movers merchandise yet. They just got picked up for their 3rd season so I am sure they will have a whole like out about a month after Liam's birthday! OH WELL! My brain is already pumping with ideas. The cake will be a challenge but I am planning on making it again this year. Keep your fingers crossed that I get a stand mixer soon. The one down side of living in the UK is that 220v situation. I could have my mixer shipped over here but a transformer for it would cost a couple hundred dollars! Mike said I could buy a 220 mixer but now the search is on to find one.

I am looking forward to this party planning...it makes me feel ALIVE! A little dramatic tonight, sorry! Stay tuned to see how the party and cake turn out and if I get stuck in blue coveralls!

Scones: Take One

Now that we are living in England I thought I should start making scones. I have always enjoyed a nice blueberry scone from Starbucks but haven't been able to find those here yet. Seems that cheese and raisin are the preferred flavor. Last night on Masterchef Australia they made scones and the recipe actually made since to me. I hate that most cooking shows here use a scale and weigh ingredients. I refuse to buy a scale! It's an extra step and one more thing to clean. Here's the recipe and it can be used for both savoury or sweet. If making a savory omit the sugar, fruit and zest.

150 mL milk
150mL cream
1 egg
3C. self rising flour
2Tbsp sugar

1C. fruit
zest 1 lemon

Combine ingredients. Turn out onto floured surface and give a gentle knead, flatten and cut into shape. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.Bake 10-15 min at 200C

I made them way too big and ugly! Plus my convection oven does not bake evenly and it's driving me nuts! I hope that my next attempt looks better. Thankfully they taste yummy!

Who Knew Alpacha Was Sooooo Soft?

Liam goes to a very neat school here in England called Busy Bees Nursery School. The school was suggested to us and when we checked into it we knew Liam had to attend. The school is a working 10 acre organic farm with animals (including a large pack of alpacas) and gardens. They even have their own indoor pool and swim instructor on staff.

The founder/owner of the school dyes and spins the alpaca hair into beautiful and soft yarn that they sell in a shop on the school grounds. The shop was open this morning and I popped in to take a look around. I was blown away that she dyes all the yarn with dye she makes out of 4 plants she grows organically. The number of colors that she creates from those 4 plants just amaze me! I ended up spending 30 minutes chatting with her and being shown all the cool stuff she carries. She even had soybean and camel! She really made me want to learn more about crocheting or knitting.

The Big Weigh In

Last month I talked about how Mike and I have noticed we are shedding a few pounds. Today is the first time I have been on a scale since April 2009 and I have to say I am happy. I love not being obsessed with weight and numbers and being "skinny". For a long time I was obsessed and was never happy. THe worst part was I was thin with great curves and I didn't know it. I still kick myself for not being comfortable in a bikini between 1997-2002.

I hate to admit this, but after today I am ALMOST motivated to start doing a little exercise! This is the first  time since 2005 that I have been under 150 lb.... I doubt I get that motivated but stay tuned!

Solutions Update

After just two treatments I have already seen a marked improvement in my hair. Even Mike noticed that it is looking a little shinier and feeling softer. 


The treatment that I have been using is 50% hot water 50% distilled white vinegar. I slowly pour the solution over my wet hair, let it soak and then wash with shampoo. Even though I am washing my hair twice AFTER the treatment there is still a hint of vinegar.


Stay tuned to see if and when I get my hair cut and if my hair gets better.