My How Time Flies...

Sorry I have not been posting much but I had to post these pictures. The first picture was taken September 6, 2007 and the last was taken August 6, 2009. It's amazing how much they change!

So sweet...

I love my son with all my being and couldn't imagine life without that little devil with the sweet heart. Today, after driving me crazy this afternoon, Liam went fishing with Daddy while mommy rested (or read her book in silence. However you want to look at it!) When Mike told Liam it was time to head home for dinner he said they couldn't leave till he found something pretty for Mommy. He searched the whole park until he found something worthy, and told Daddy it was pretty and would make Mommy feel better. When the boys got home, Liam ran straight to me and gave me the beautiful magnolia weird looking, fuzzy thing. It's great! Although he loves to push my buttons and is often mean to me, I know deep down he loves me!

Love a Good Deal

A few weeks ago I got a $1 off coupon for a newer product I hadn't yet tried. When money is tight I don't often take risks with new products. Nothing worse than spending money on something that tastes horrible!

Last week while I was at Walmart grocery shopping I walked past the freezer end cap and stopped to peek. The sign above the case said $2! Of course I am going to stop. It happened to be Pillsbury Savoring Pastry Bites on sale for $2. I had been wanting to try them and with my $1 off coupon I had no reason not to give them a whirl. The spinach and cheese looked pretty tasty and man was I right! They may have tasted even better because the whole box (12 pastries) only cost me $1 but I still think you should give them a try!

When Fish Talk to 3 yr Olds...

Strange things seem to happen during nap time. Liam seems to think he is too big for naps but really he is just too busy! More often than not, I will hear lots of thumping, crashing, and jumping come from his room during this time. Today was no exception! Liam came shuffling out of his room.

The conversation went a lot like this: " Mommy. Mommy I gave Blue some food." What Liam? " I gave Blue too much food." (Mommy runs to Liam's room) Liam!!!! What did you do!!!???

***Picture a gold fish bowl with two inches of tiny pellet fish food covering the top, big plastic storage container flipped over next to bookshelves used to climb up, and an empty fish food container.***

(Mike rushes in and immediately whisks Blue to the kitchen for emergency extraction)

Liam that is how you kill a fish!!! (Liam immediately goes to the naughty corner without being told and precedes to scream and cry. 3 Min pass) Liam why did you do feed Blue? "Well Blue told me he was REALLY Hungry!" Liam fish don't talk " He told me with his bubbles that he was REALLY hungry mommy. So I gave him his food."

Needless to say that Blue will be staying in the living room for a while and we will be headed to the pet store for more food tomorrow.

Update

I feel like it's been forever! How are you? The last time I made a post it was about our possible chance at moving to Italy. Typically, we don't tell people about these opportunities, because when we do something happens. For once we felt it was going to happen. We were one step away and the guy who started the whole process changed his mind! So as of right now, the LeCroy's will be staying put in the crumbling USA! (just my opinion and I have the right to it!) Mike does have the first right of refusal for any overseas positions that come up within the Air Force. So keep your fingers crossed for some place FAB!

Italy?!

Recently my hubby came home and asked me if I would like to move to Italy. It's not unusual for him to ask me about possible jobs he has seen or sent a resume off in regards to. I can never get really into what he says because most of the time it doesn't some through. This time it is looking more and more like a real possibility. Aviano Air Force Base is located in the northeastern part of Italy at the base of the Italian Alps. The area looks beautiful and is located in a great spot to travel all over Europe. Right now we are just waiting to see what happens and if it will all work out. Liam is at a great age and if we don't do it now we might never get the chance. I will keep you posted!

The Fearless Child

Mike and I knew earlier on that our child had inherited his fathers fearlessness and need for adventure. Watching Liam get excited about trying something new makes my heart smile. As you know from the previous post, Liam had his first surf lesson a few weeks ago. That same week, Liam and Mike went to the only climbing wall in Pensacola to let Liam climb. The only reason they were going was because Liam came out of our bedroom carrying Mike's climbing harness and said, " Let's go climb Daddy!" He is now the proud owner of his own climbing harness and he loved every second of climbing to the top. Next time I plan on going with them so I can get some pictures.

Yesterday Liam and I got to go swim at my friend Allison's house. We all know Liam loves to swim, but yesterday he was going to the bottom of the pool! Allison's daughter Bella was swimming to the bottom of the pool to get weighted pool toys and Liam insisted he wanted to do the same. He doesn't have to skills to get to the bottom yet, but with a little push from mommy, he was grabbing them and swimming to the top. He had a blast with Harrison and Bella and it was nice to see the Barger's!

The end of another wonderful Florida day!

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!

3 yr. Check Up

With every birthday comes a trip to the doctor to get weighed and measured. Liam's statement to the nurse was "no shots please!" When I looked at the chart and figured out he didn't need any he danced around in his little gown singing "no shots, no shots ya ya ya!" He cracks me up! He passed all his little cognitive tests with flying colors and even gave the eye chart a shot. Liam found it amusing to make up shapes. He is in the 44Th percentile for his weight at 31lbs and only 14Th percentile for his height at 36 1/4 inches. The doctor is a little concerned about his height and suggested we start giving his miracle grow and hanging his by his toes at night. If all that doesn't help in 6 months we will have to get lifts for his shoes. The Dr. seemed to be OK with his weight even though it was a little below average. He said maybe I shouldn't fix so many balanced meals!

Birthday Success!

Liam's birthday party was a great success full of family, friends and fun! Both sets of grandparents came into town again this year for the party. I have a feeling this will be a yearly trip at the request of the only grandson! Liam loves his Mema, MiMi, Papa and Popcorn and is beside himself when they are all around and the center of every one's world! He must get his need for being the center of attention from Mike! (hhahahahahaha)
The cake turned out pretty well. I really should not have procrastinated and spent more time focused on it than shopping with the mom's. Overall though, I can not complain! I was working on the cake till 11 pm the night before the party. But, I needed to make pico de Gallo and potato salad so I wasn't in bed till midnight. Next time I won't cook when tired because my potato salad and pico were both under seasoned! I would have been kicked out Top Chef for sure!
I just wanted to thank everyone for coming and sharing this special day with our family. (Don't worry you will all still be getting thank you cards! I'm not that cheap!) Hopefully everyone had as much fun as Liam.
And next year, hopefully someone will remember to get a big family picture! Not one picture of all of us...or even a picture of Mike, Liam and I! Guess we need to start hiring a photographer! hehhee

LeCroy Adventures

Mike called me one morning and asked if Liam and I would meet him for lunch. In the past this wasn't a big deal. Mike worked 10 minutes from our house and could come home for lunch if he wanted. He is now working 45 minutes from our house. Liam was game for a little adventure and it was a chance to go to a new park. We had fun and that is what really matters.

"Homemade" Pizza

One of my favorite foods in the World is Pizza! When I lived with my parents Friday night was always pizza night and I got into making it all from scratch! My Aunt Linda's neighbor in Virginia Beach was the most amazing Italian woman! Lillian lived right next door and every memory I have of spending time in Virginia Beach at my Aunt's house involves Lillian. She was the type of neighbor people dream of having. She's hilarious, a FABULOUS cook, and great company on the front porch. I was so sad when she moved to Florida! Any who! Lillian gave me her pizza dough and sauce recipe when I was young. I made it a few times and then started adding my own flare. I think I became quite the pizza maker. When I went off to college my cooking and baking ended. Now that I am a Domestic Goddess and I cook often I love making my own pizza rather than spend $20 every Friday.

Shortcuts are always nice and I have a few to share. For the "homemade" dough I use Rhodes White Bread dough from the freezer section of your grocery store. I always find mine at Walmart. Three loaves of dough for usually $2.50. One loaf of the dough is enough to make a couple pizzas. See the pictures above. All pizzas came from one dough "ball". I also make my own sauce. Store bough sauce would be fine but I am not a fan. I simply use one can of diced tomato and one tiny can of tomato sauce. If you prefer a smooth sauce with no chunk action use one can of tomato sauce. There is always sauce leftover and it's great on pasta.
You will also need some olive oil, garlic (1 or 2 cloves finely chopped), little Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, fresh basil, and red pepper flake if you like a little kick. Heat a little Olive oil over medium/medium low. Add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and garlic. Do not let the garlic brown. After the garlic cooks for a few seconds add your tomatoes and stir. Reduce heat to simmer and let it cook away for a little while. After it reaches a thickness you like, taste and season to your taste. I Chiffonade my basil and add to sauce off the heat. Stir in and let the sauce sit and come down to room temp before using.
Another secret: I use a pampered chef baking stone. I do not own the pizza stone but I use my large bar pan. I put my stone in the oven and then heat my oven to around 425-450. Have all your ingredients ready. Shape your dough, open oven and place dough on the stone and then add sauce and toppings. Bake for around 5-10 min. Just keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Hope these shortcuts work for you and that you enjoy!

Easter...Just a Little Late!

Sorry to be so behind! I wanted to post some pictures from Easter Weekend. Liam had a blast and so did Mike and I. We took Liam to the Easter egg hunt at Perdido Kids Park and Liam was very successful. He and Mike got in quick and got out with 30 eggs full of candy. It amazed me how many people rolled into the egg hunt at 10:15 and wondered why all the egg were gone! Liam also got a bumble bee painted on his hand and then we headed to the beach! Every Easter should end with a trip to the beach.

The pictures are a little out of order. It really bugs me how that always happens! Also, please note Liam's pumpkin. We needed something big to put eggs in but closed enough to prevent egg stealing from grabby kids! Liam suggested the pumpkin and it worked great. He was the only kid with a pumpkin!