Monday, February 15, 2010

Valentine Sweet Treats: Donuts with Dad!




So many Valentine's Days in the past have been spent alone...this year it was a family affair. Daddy and Will got up early and surprised Stella and Mommy with Fresh Donuts and cards. UMMMMM so good! And Stella and Will enjoyed a new book each that we snuggled around the kitchen table in our PJ's and robes with milk and coffee to read to each other on a frigid wintry morning. Next we bundled up and drove to Fort Worth to the Nature Science Museum and had a blast. Fun Times!

The Child In Us All....






Dallas was blanketed in 10 - 12 inches of snow (depending on who is counting) last week. I was in Miami all week for a National Sales Meeting and managed Ts anxiety from afar over School letting out early and School Closings, not to mention getting 2 kids out the door every morning by himself by 7:30. Fortunately, the new job allows him to work from home in these situations. But for a "new at this 9-5 thing" Dad, by the time I walked in the door on Friday night he was frazzled and bewildered. There is a system & a schedule when working from home with kids. Wear 'em out early, long naps and carefully orchestrated t.v. and craft time. T has been with Davita Rx as an IT support analyst for 3 weeks and I have already been out of town 2 out of the 3. Whew! We have relished him being home and have begun to settle in to a routine family life.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Christmas Vacation and Happy New Year!








It has been a busy 3 weeks hosting family and taking a much needed and overdue family vacation. Gramma Susie and Grampa Bud spent nearly two weeks with us in Dallas, and Cousin Jason was here for a week. We celebrated with cooking and baking, and a few new cocktails and of course lots and lots of wine. Stella and Will decorated their first Gingerbread House (sans the baking). I was adventurous this year but opted for homemade risotto, christmas cookies and a twist on the French Cassoulet courtesy of Cook's Illustrated magazine with a shortened version of the French pork and beans casserole - yum! I even turned my dad into a fan. My three weeks off from work was almost glorious! I rifled through my cooking magazines, read a book, watched so many movies I can't recall them all, and took some naps with Will. T and I took Stella to ride The Polar Express with the Texas State Railroad, which all of us enjoyed dressed in our P.J.s, despite the down pour of rain. Stella even learned how to ice skate with Mommy & Cousin Jason. On Christmas Eve we were treated to a steady snowfall, yielding 2 1/2 inches of snow and a very White Christmas. We traveled to Nashville for the week following Christmas and visited with all of our close friends - Jannette & Marvin, Jacquee, Con-Con,Nick & Nikki, Beth & Bill, Felicia & Brian. I needed some overdue girl time with my friends. Stella had fun bowling with all of her friends from The Gardner School, going to the movies to see The Princess and the Frog and romping and playing at the home of our dear friends, Jacie & Brad with their children, Cole & Maren. We ended the vacation with our annual New Year's Eve dinner with Jacie & Brad at The Patterson House. Wow, it was amazing! My soul has been refreshed from great conversations with the most amazing friends. Happy New Year!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

New Home... New Traditions




Well, it was a first for many things this Thanksgiving. Cooking for 4, well really three since Stella and Will probably equal what one adult could consume at a holiday feast, was something I just had to put to the side and decide to prepare some not-so-traditional holiday dishes. The goal was to make spending Thanksgiving without family seem a little more festive. I planned to use a few recipes & ideas from my Bon Appetite & Martha Stewart Living mags. First, a trip to the market for some fresh vegetables and herbs on Wednesday - since my herb garden in TN couldn't fit in a box and I haven't had the time to design & plant one. I will spare you the details but I did have therapy in the kitchen....spending hours on your feet chopping, dicing, roasting & basting does your soul a lot of good. I love, love, love to cook and experiment but seldom find enough time with a full-time job, a traveling husband, and two fun-loving, busy children. Here is the menu for 4 that I came up with:

*Click on the magazine for link to the recipe.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving from Dallas

Due to tight schedules we will not be traveling for Thanksgiving this year. So, we thought we would share some videos from the last few days for all of our family and friends to enjoy on Turkey Day. I know video footage doesn't come close to jammies and early morning special time, a simple meal together, puzzles, or craft time, but technology has a way of bringing family & friends close around the holidays. We are thankful for our family and friends ~ always!
Gobble, Gobble!
Annette, Tom, Stella & Will



Thursday, November 19, 2009

Fall Festival Fun


Stella & Will enjoyed some grand fun at the Schreiber Fall Festival last weekend. Stella enjoyed the spin art and face painting and Will was overjoyed with the train ride. He rode it once with Stella and then proved he was a big boy by riding 4 more times by himself with "strangers" -- LoL. By the time we returned home, Will was whipped and crashed for 3 1/2 hrs. He woke up proudly sharing his snake tattoo -- "Ssssssssss scary snake, mommy!"

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Stella & Will Rock Out!

Stella & Will have been taking turns singing nursery rhymes Rock Star style. It makes for humorous play times. Stella organizes the show and Will just falls in line. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Treak-or-Treat



I thought it would be cute to compare pictures from last year to see how much they have grown. What a fun night and a first for Will. We walked the neighborhood and rang doorbells asking nicely, "Trick-or-Treat, Please." A few times, we had to be reminded to wait our turn and only take one piece of candy. A fun night for all!!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Super Heroes





This year Stella and Will both wanted to be Super Heroes. Check out Stella's Bat Girl pose and Will's Superman Flying hands. Both are excited about next weekend and a spooky Halloween. Stay tuned....pumpkin patch field trip this week with the Primrose school.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Home Sweet Home...Bitter Sweet.




4407 Forest Bend Rd. is starting to look like home. T has been working tirelessly with Alberto Ramirez & Co. to get the house looking great with updates to the landscaping, new doors, cedar shutters, interior painting and wainscoting. (Click on the pic to enlarge). Next, comes the decorating. Our local Pottery Barn has interior design services and seems like a good option for a busy Mom of 2.
On a different note, I learned today that I still have a job with the "new" Pfizer, post Wyeth aquisition - the 4th Downsizing I have squeeked thru & 2nd in nine months. Bitter sweet, knowing not everyone will be so lucky & after learning last week of the sudden & traggic death of a former manager and mentor of 9 years: RIP Bob Amitrano...We will miss your passion and zeal for life, and how you measured everything by a win or a loss. I didn't agree with every thing you did or said & told you so. But once I moved to the "inner circle", I witnessed how you gave every ounce of yourself to develop those you believed in. Pfizer lost a soldier & a leader and I lost someone who I knew believed in me, challenged me to dig deeper, to develop a strategy & execute on it - "Failure is not an option," you'd say. And most importantly, someone who would go to the wall for you. And you did time & time again.. May you find the peace that eluded you on this earth. I will miss you, my friend.
These times test your emotional fortitude - your human side - and make you numb. Because, when you walk thru that door, somewhere down deep, you know you have to leave it there - check it at the door... and be someone's Mommy, someone's wife, and a friend. I could do better at that....