Lions, Tigers and Bears

We have been busy, busy the last few days. I'm finally able to sit down to post. We just finished Nick's Halloween costume, too. Check in later on Friday for the reveal!

We went to the Tulsa zoo on Sunday. This was my second outing w/ Nick and Scott's first. It was so pleasant this time around. The weather was perfect and we practically had the zoo to ourselves. The zoo is not real big, but that was okay. We were able to hit all the exhibits and ride the train, all in 3 hours. Just the right amount of time. Nick really enjoyed himself. He liked most of the exhibits, especially the sea lions. He literally was trying to climb over the fence into the pool. The indoor exhibits, not so much. I think the smell really bothered him. I don't blame him. He is his mother's son... in more ways than one Scott would add. His favorite parts were the train ride and the carousel, of course.

Quick Fire

Just a quick post. The Springdale fire dept brought their firetruck over to Nick's MDO today. The teacher said he was really into the whole fire truck thing. She also mentioned that the firemen were really handsome, so I guess she was digging it, too. Here is a picture of him w/ his official fire dept "badge". Don't you just want to kiss him?!

Shiny Cash

Scott is a big fan of Johnny Cash and has always exposed Nicholas to his music. As I mentioned before, the first song Nick learned was Folsom Prison. Well, Walk The Line was on tv the other night and he was mesmerized. His favorite scene is the part where Cash sings Get Rhythm. It's one of the first thing he'll ask for when we're in the playroom. He will watch this part over and over. "Watch Shiny Cash, pease." It's really hard to say no to that, but it gets easier after the 63rd time. Here's a short vid of him shaking his tail feather.

What's Cookin'?

Since I've started blogging, a whole new world has opened up to me. I'm always on the lookout for yummy recipes. I just love perusing recipes (they gotta have pics though). This is not to suggest that I would actually make any of these dishes, I like to think that it just gets made somehow by someone else (that's why the pics come in handy). Well, there are tons and tons of blogs dedicated to cooking. Who knew? One of my favorites right now is Prudence Pennywise. She has a huge collection of recipes, along with links to dozens of other cooking sites. She'll make a recipe, and not only give you her feedback, but an estimated cost as well. The Butternut Squash Lasagna with Rosemary and Garlic sounds delish. Be sure to call me if you decide to try this out.

Follow The Herd

I was listening to music on the radio in the car and you know what? With the exception of the soft rock station (b/c I'm all about soft rock and let's be honest, who isn't?), I didn't recognize any of the songs playing. Can't quite remember when it happened, but all I listen to now is sports talk radio. The reason I'm talking about this is b/c one of my fave shows is back on, and I'm overjoyed. It actually switched stations, but it never crossed my mind to look for it on another station. I love The Herd with Colin Cowherd show. It's the best 3 hours on radio (I get 10-15mins snippets these days). He talks about sports, of course, but he also talks about really random and sometimes irrelevant topics. It's great. If you're local, you can catch him from 9-12 on AM1390 or listen to him online.

Lazy Bums

Such lazy afternoons. The weather has been gorgeous lately. We don't have anything pressing going on right now, so Nick and I go for long walks around the hood, loiter at the nearby playground and lie around the backyard. My dad has a sweet camera, a Canon something. I borrowed it from him to beef up my photography chops. My pictures turn out pretty much the same, so I'm thinking it's not the camera. But hey, here are some pictures of Nick wasting the day away with his mama.

Kate's Birthday Bash

Yesterday was Kate Pittman's 2nd birthday party. Yay! Can't believe she is two, well almost. She had her party at Gymboree. She looked adorable in her pig tails.

Nicholas was so excited about attending, all we had to do was tell him it was at Gymboree and promise him some birthday cake. He did a lot of mumbling throughout the day, "birfday cake" or "birfday kate", we're not really sure. He had a wonderful time, despite a gazillion kiddos running around. And a gazillion kiddos running around is normally not Nick's cup of tea. But, they were all really well behaved and looked like they enjoyed themselves. I'm telling you, this whole Gymboree b-day party is not a bad idea. You don't have to worry about getting your house ready for a party, entertaining the kids and best of all, cleaning up.

Thanks for having us, we loved that we could help celebrate Kate's special day.

Top Chef

Can you tell by some of my post titles that I watch too many reality shows? Just wanted to post a few pictures of Nick slaving away in the kitchen. He's taken an interest in the kitchen since I always have the food network on the telly. Our favorite show is Barefoot Contessa. I like her recipes, he likes the little jingle (he always stops what he's doing to listen). On this particular night, he's cooking frozen peas. His technique involves transferring the peas back and forth from the big bowl to little ones and stirring them up. I can't tell you how many dropped peas I squished on the floor w/ my feet. Later, we had the "same" peas he cooked for dinner. He was quite proud of himself.

Globetrotting

A favorite pastime of mine during the holiday season is looking at the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. They just released this year's catalog. A trademark of their book is a section for indulgent, over the top, overpriced (you be the judge) gifts. And really, who couldn't use some of that during these tough economic times? Below is one of my faves, what's yours?

Harlem Globetrotters® On-court Experience

How cool is that?! I had given up on my dream of pursuing a career with the Globetrotters years ago. There were many roadblocks... being 5'3" with no discernible athletic ability, tops the list. You can help make my dream a reality.

The Great Pumpkin

Nick and I went to Wally world this afternoon, and he kept pointing at the pumpkin display. So I let him pick out a small one to take home. He was very proud of his new purchase and held onto it the whole time.

Me: Does your pumpkin have a name?

Nick: Walmart

Me: I know that's where we got it, but what is pumpkin's name?

Nick: Walmart

Me: Your name is Nicholas, and pumpkin's name is...

Nick: Walmart

There you have it. Consumerism at it's finest. Do not ask me why I asked if his squash had a name, my life is filled w/ inane questions and conversations.

I wonder what his reaction will be when I carve up his little buddy

I'm Nuts For You

I have found a new love. Nutella. I've heard of it for many years, and know it's very popular in Europe. But what do those across the pond know anyway? I've seen Giada on Everyday Italian cook with it. And on occasion hear my friend, Heidi (who is a very good sport btw, see 4 posts down), extolling it's virtue. She has even rhapsodized about it on her blog. I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

Sheer bliss. I thought immediately, this is a Ferrero Rocher, in heavenly form. Turns out it's made by the same company. You'll be surprised to learn, however, that it has little to no nutritional value.

Click here for a chance to win a free case (1 week supply) of Nutella.

Just Doodling

I generally try not to blantantly and shamelessly promote my son (all the time). But...

Nick loves to draw and color. I'd say he spends a couple hours a day perched at the kitchen table with his crayons and notepad. He's learned how to write his letters and numbers, most of them on his own. They are not perfect, but that's why I love it. Scott has also taught him how to draw different objects, among them, a TIE fighter and a Death Star. But, the other day, he surprised me by drawing a puppy (that's what he told me when I asked). Neither one of us taught him that. It is the cutest puppy I've ever seen.

Visitin' The 'Rents

The last few days have been rather uneventful, even w/ a two year old. I'm feeling a tad under the weather, so you're not going to see the normal "witty, in-your-face w/a plucky spirit" writing. Your disappointment is palpable.

We went down to Ft. Smith to visit my folks over the weekend. Scott and I like to visit b/c (other than seeing my family) we pretty much hand Nick over to my mom and we veg on the couch and stuff our faces . Have you ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? My mom's just an Asian version of the bride's mom. We'll finish a huge meal and an hour later, she'll ask if we're hungry. She plies us with food constantly. Scott and I oblige her, of course, so we always come home feeling as if we've gained at least 5lbs each. Naturally, she sends food w/ us to take home as well. We always have a good time and Nicholas loves having his every whim catered to by my parents and his uncles.

Cruising along on his new toy lawn mower w/ Uncle Nghia

Too cool in his shades

Getting smooches from his Ba Ngoai

Yes, this is my handywork. Age 2 and he has perfected the yearbook pose. It will serve him well in the years to come. You can see it runs in the family.

Old School Marm... I Mean Charm

So I was called out by my friend, Heidi, for not posting her yearbook picture along with ours. Not one to pass up the opportunity to right a wrong, I'm dedicating this post to my super fly friend. The pics below are fresh, indeed.

That last picture was actually taken yesterday.

Wyatt Burp

Check out some pictures of the cutest little cowboy this side of the Mississippi. I love, love, love him in these pajamas.