Ahhhh! Mom's Hour Out!

I am in full agreement with the sentiment that Saturdays are (generally) great. Then, I also agree-contrary to popular opinion- that Mondays are just fine too. Saturday though. Saturday *does* stand out. For one thing my husband is home! For another, I often am able to get out of the house for an hour or two. Mommy escape!!!

This morning I woke up "late" at about half past seven. I listened. Not a sound from the nursery. Hurredly I dressed, then listened again. This time I did hear something. It was the sound of T playing with his pound and roll tower.

If you do not like noise in the house, do not get a pound and roll tower! The sound of wood hammering on wood, followed by the rattle clack clack clack of the balls rolling down the ramps can be quite loud! But it really is a great toy. He has to work persistantly to get those balls to drop through the holes and start their short journey to the bottom. He gets to practice using a hammer-shaped object safely. The colored balls give an opportunity for him to practice his colors. Did you know he has said "yellow" twice this week? :) I found mine used at a consignment shop. Originally I planned on giving it at Christmas. Talking it over my husband and I agreed, he's at the perfect age for the toy. So we kept it out. It's sitting in the nursery right now, one of the two toys (at a time) he can keep in there for when he first gets up (he sleeps on a Montessori floor bed). I really like the toy too! My great-grandma had a saying "The bigger the noise the better the boys" which I believe, to a certain extent (keeping in mind appropriateness of location, time, etc) to be true.

So hearing my son playing with his pound and roll toy I realize it was going to be a morning I could take off! Off I went, to shop at yard sales. It was a successful hour too. I found a large basket in which to put the items I collected for my husband's cousin's baby shower for a dollar, an unopened white 100% cotton Bed Bath and Beyond shower curtain for only a few dollars, and spent a dollar on another "just like Mama and Papa" toy for Theo. All that from only two yard sales and one hour! Now that's a great morning! :) Let's just say I'm *very* satisfied!

My toddler loves spicy food!

 Today was pretty busy. Besides cooking a big pot of Jambalaya (using, I should add, the remnants of the roast chicken I made on Monday and have been cooking off of since) we kept pretty busy today. First thing this morning we went to the park to get some exercise. I offered to let him ride on my back. He chose to walk on his own two feet. So off we went. Very, very slowly! Feet shuffled through the leaves which were then kicked up in the air and floated back down. He did it though. My 19 month old walked an entire mile on his own two feet again. Go Theo! I'd planned on walking further and putting him in a carrier for the rest of the walk (babywearing while walking makes for better exercise!) but the park had lawn service out. If you know me, you know how severe my allergies are. We loaded up in the car to go shopping!

No, it wasn't the exciting, fun kind of shopping. Today was just the old run-of-the-mill grocery goods to fill the cupboard type shopping. I wasn't in the mood to go from store to store to store today to find the best deal. So we just went to one supermarket. I pulled out my ring sling. He didn't want in. Then I asked, "Do you want to ride on my back?"
"No!" He replied.
"Do you want to ride in the cart?"
"No!" was again the emphatic response.
He wanted to walk. To push the cart. Now this supermarket is very busy. Certainly not a good place for a young toddler to walk as I shop. So he didn't get his wish. As soon as we got home he wanted right up on my back though. Up he scrambled, and laid right down so I could tie the straps of the mei tai.

 This afternoon I decided to try this Jambalaya recipe. Although I have a go-to gumbo recipe and an absolute favorite red beans and rice I've never found a Jambalaya that I must make over and over again. Well, I think I'm now pretty close. The recipe was so spicy, but the spice didn't hide the flavor which was abundant! The flavors in the jambalaya just popped!

 I think in a few weeks I'm going to play around with tweaking it. Once I find *my* perfect Jambalaya I'll be sure to let you know (and post the recipe of course)! You should've seen the way my husband and especially my 19 month old attacked the jambalaya though! Simply devoured. My toddler loves spice more than sweet. I'm not complaining!Yes, I'm definitely on the way to finding my go-to jambalaya!

Just starting up

Several months ago a couple friends suggested I start a blog. "A blog?!" I thought, "Why on earth would I want to start a blog? Facebook notes are fine for me!" So time passed, life moved on, and I kept writing intermittant notes on facebook.
This afternoon as I took my "rest" while toddler T slept, I checked out twitter. Looking through the various tweets of those whom I follow, it struck me. Those friends were right. I should try out a blog. What's there to loose?

So here I am. About to start blogging about the life of a (generally) very happy mama of one little boy.