Rhodes Easter Egg Hunt

We had such a good time last year at the Rhodes College Easter Egg Hunt that we decided to go back this year. I was battling a migraine and Cooper hadn't had a nap, so Jeff was just trying to get through the day with us. Did I mention Cooper knows when he goes to Rhodes, he gets to ride in Nana's work golf cart? Yeah, it didn't take long for that request to kick in.

The Easter Bunny was there, but even with Bobo's help, he wasn't so sure about him:


Once the egg hunt, started, Cooper was on a mission:




Impressive picture not only because Cooper and I are both looking almost in the same direction, but also because I am making a rare appearance in a picture with my child!


All of us after the egg hunt, but before the golf cart rides with Nana, Bobo, YaYa, and Pops.


And just because it's so cute- Avery sometimes ends up sleeping with Cooper. She's a patient dog and even though I know there are times she wishes he'd just go away, she really does protect Cooper.

Bread Crumb Chicken and Weight Loss

I found a recipe on, you guessed it, Pinterest for OMG Chicken. On a personal note, I'd like to rename the dish Bread Crumb Chicken because OMG seems to be a pet peeve of mine I didn't know existed. It bugs me, much like any shortened version of pregnant (ex: preggo, preggers) or using the letter Z to pluralize words (ex: "hugz" instead of "hugs"). I'm just weird like that.

Anyway, Bread Crumb Chicken looked good and seemed easy. I was even able to find a similar recipe that was Weight Watchers approved, so Jeff was on board. I ended up combining the 2 recipes, so the points were more than originally believed, but I still think it was better than some other crud we've been known to eat.

Bread Crumb Chicken
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
*1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I know I used more than this)
*Bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a greased Pyrex dish (I used Pam). Mix sour cream and Parmesan cheese, then spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle bread crumbs over chicken, as desired (ours had a light coating, but you can use as much as you want). Bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Here's the finished product:


I have this fear of serving undercooked chicken, so I may have cooked ours a little too long. As in, I spent 15 minutes cleaning the burned pieces out of that Pyrex dish and it's still not completely clean. Oops.

I do have to brag on Jeff for a moment. He is in his 4th week of Weight Watchers and doing amazingly well. He's lost 17 pounds so far and has noticed a difference in the way his clothes fit. We've been going on long walks downtown the past few weekends and he and Cooper are now getting up to go on my morning walks with me. He says he's starting to feel his competitive side come out, so we're both hopeful that he will continue with the program.

Mallie Girl

After a very long illness, my parents made the difficult decision to put our family dog, Mallie, to sleep this afternoon. The story goes that I had moved into the dorms, Kyle was always at baseball practice, and my dad was covering ballgames and meetings, so my mom told him that she either needed a dog or another baby to keep her company at night. DOG IT IS!

So Christmas break my freshman year of college, we adopted Mallie, a Westie, who was estimated to be 2-3 years old, already house trained, and my mom's best friend from the beginning. Always "pleasantly plump", none of us could ever deny sharing our food with Mallie who just had the perfect way of turning her head in the cutest way and "sitting pretty" to get just what she wanted.

A few years ago, she started having health trouble. Eventually diagnosed with diabetes, she was on daily medicines that seemed to bring her back to the dog she once had been- running, rolling around, and acting like herself. It wasn't meant to last though and last summer, we all thought she would have to be put to sleep before we went on vacation. She rallied again and up until about a month ago was doing okay, all things considered.

In the past few weeks, she had more accidents, started losing teeth causing her gums to bleed, she couldn't see or hear, her ear was oozing, and she was having trouble walking. After talking it over with our wonderful vet (we take Avery to the same one), it was decided that Mallie would have a "last meal" of Cherub tomatoes and that my parents would be with her. I got to say my good-byes after dinner last night and was okay today until my dad texted to let me know she was gone.

This past summer, when we initially thought Mallie was going to pass away, my dad found a poem about the Rainbow Bridge. It's basically about how all our pets all play and enjoy Heaven together, then one day, your pet will realize you've made it to Heaven and your cross the Rainbow Bridge together. I can't do it justice, but if you're an animal lover and in the mood for a cry, Google it. When my dad texted, my mind immediately went to the Rainbow Bridge and I was a mess.

Here's my sweet Avery Girl with my sweet Mallie Girl:


As a family, we waited a long time for a dog. Most of mine and Kyle's friends growing up had a dog, sometimes more than one. We had a bird and rabbits growing up, but we were all excited about getting Mallie. She was wonderful, sweet, and a constant protector. See you at the Rainbow Bridge, Mallie Girl.

Spring Break!

Last week, I was on Spring Break and honestly, it's one of the best breaks I've had in recent memory. I was able to get a lot accomplished, spent quality time with Cooper and Jeff, and had some time to myself. I was relaxed and willingly admit it was very difficult to return to work.

My break started with a Friday night yoga class, taught by Jeff's aunt, Susan. She surprised everyone with wine afterwards and I have to say, it's probably the best yoga class I've been to! Nana and Bobo volunteered to keep Cooper so Jeff and I could have a night out Saturday. We tried Rizzo's Diner, a relatively new, locally owned, restaurant downtown. I had the cajun chicken pot pie and Jeff had the meatloaf. We both agreed that we could tell the food was good and would like to try it again, but would definitely try something different next time. My chicken pot pie was SWIMMING in heavy cream and butter sauce- kinda gross. After dinner, we went to see "Friends with Kids", which basically consisted of the cast from "Bridesmaids" and was about how dynamics between friends change when kids are brought into the picture. I loved it; Jeff thought it was okay, but we both agreed the storyline was pretty true to life. Sunday, Jeff worked at the golf course and I got started on my Spring Break project- painting our new closet and bedroom doors. We picked Cooper up, then headed to my parents' house to celebrate Uncle Tada's 25th birthday.

Monday, Cooper and I spent the day together. He really enjoys watching a show on PBS called "Super Why" about a little boy named Wyatt and his friends who solve problems, focusing on word and letter recognition. We watched the episode a few times, then started playing with Cooper's LeapFrog alphabet refrigerator magnets. I amazed at how quickly he picked up letter recognition. He can say the alphabet and we're not completely there, but I was shocked at how many he was able to point out to me.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Cooper went to Lala's house while I worked on painting the doors again. I was able to finish the coat closet, our office bedroom and closet door, the master bedroom door, and Cooper's bedroom door- much more than I anticipated being able to do! I went to another yoga class and got my hair done Tuesday and even got in some shopping late Thursday afternoon while Jeff and Bobo took Cooper to play golf.

Cooper and I spent the day together again Friday. I had no idea it was supposed to rain all day, so my plan of taking him to the zoo was nixed. Instead, we opened the blinds, watched it rain, and talked about "kunder." A few more viewings of "Super Why", a long nap, and Jeff was home for the weekend. We watched the Memphis game , then had our tradition Friday-night-during-Lent meal of cheese pizza.

Saturday was so pretty, so we decided to go for a walk downtown. Cooper did great. Last year, he started trying to escape from the "scroller", so we weren't able to go on many walks. This time, he rode in the stroller until we made it to a neighborhood area, then held Jeff's hand (he refused to walk with me) until we got closer to a busy street, then willingly rode in the stroller the rest of the way.


We found a fountain, which entertained Cooper for 2 minutes as he was throwing pennies into it.


"Daddy run with Coopie!"


I think we wore him out. Plus, with the nasty Memphis basketball loss the night before, he's ready for football.

My parents offered to keep Cooper Saturday night, so after meeting them at church, Jeff and I headed out...for what, we didn't know. I wanted to see "Jeff Who Lives at Home", but Jeff didn't seem interested. We wanted to eat someone we normally wouldn't be able to with Cooper in tow, but downtown was crawling with St. Patrick's Day revelers. We ended up at tried-but-true Amerigo's for a late dinner. Then my parents called- Cooper was screaming and they couldn't get him to calm down. He kept asking for us. It broke my heart and I think they were bugged by it, too. I suggested putting in "WoodyBuzz" aka "Toy Story" and that seemed to help.

Sunday, Jeff went to work and I worked around the house. I made granola, did laundry, watched CBS Sunday Morning with coffee that was still hot when I started drinking it and without interruptions (this never happens!) and right as I got started on my walk, my parents called saying they were at our house with Cooper. They'd had a big morning, too- chocolate donuts for breakfast, another viewing of "WoodyBuzz", then a trip to Turtle Bayou. Cooper will tell you the turtles live in "chocolate water", which I guess would be a pretty accurate description of muddy water. We played outside until Jeff came home from work, then spent the afternoon sneezing and sniffling (the pollen is AWFUL this year) before going to Nana and Bobo's for dinner.

And a new discovery: Cooper has decided he doesn't want him picture taken.

NO!

We also have taught him that Mommy's name is Jana and Daddy's name is Jeff, thinking we were being smart and working towards knowing information in case of emergencies. Yeah, now he's calling us by our first names instead of Mommy and Daddy sometimes. Oops.

Lemonade Chicken

I am so proud of Jeff. He started Weight Watchers last Wednesday and so far, so good. He's really taking to the challenge and I'm trying to be supportive by not asking for Chick-fil-A for every meal.

I am able to log in to the Weight Watchers website using his account to find recipes and check nutritional information for restaurants. The first recipe I found that looked both good and easy was for lemonade chicken. I made it tonight and Jeff loved it. I thought it was good, but for this, I want Jeff to like it so it encourages him. Even Cooper liked it!

Here's the recipe:
*4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1 can frozen lemonade, thawed
*1/3 cup soy sauce

Mix thawed lemonade and soy sauce together. Spray a 9"x13" Pyrex dish with Pam and arrange chicken in it. Pour lemonade/soy sauce mixture on top. Back at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

The only thing I may do differently is flip the chicken halfway through cooking. The mix will be thin, so it rolls right off the chicken, but flipping it might keep some of the mixture in the chicken.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

We've had a tough weekend. Cooper has had a stomach bug and we've been stuck inside. While the good news is he's felt well enough to be up and playing most of the time, that's also the bad news. Cooper is as strong willed as I am, mischievous as Jeff, and is in the middle of Terrible Twos. Let's just say Mommy and Daddy need a break. These walls are closing in.

Despite his antics, he is saying some really hilarious things. He repeats everything he hears, which makes me need to keep that Lenten promise of no cussing up more than I am. Here are some of his latest quips:

*Running in our bedroom while I was changing the sheets saying, "Hey Mommy! I'm gonna need your help!" All of his crayons and stamps mysteriously got dumped out and I needed to clean them up.
*Used to constantly ask "Mommy, what are you doing now?" and has added, "Hey! What's going on?"
*Loves Honey Nut Chex, but calls it "Pops' cereal" because it's what he always rummages through my parents' pantry to find when he gets to their house.
*When you ask, "Cooper did you go to the doctor?" he'll gladly tell you, "Coopie go to doctor. Doctor look in Coopie's ears. Coopie cry!"
*When Jeff runs out at night, Cooper automatically asks if Daddy is going to get the french fries. Think we might go to Chick-fil-A a bit much? And if the answer is no, his next question is either, "Daddy take the garbage out?" or "Daddy go to grocery store? Daddy ride in grocery cart!"
*Walks outside and says, "It's cold!" or "It's windy!" Still will touch stuff and say, "It's hit! Let it cool off."
*And he just told Jeff, "Daddy! That's enough!" when Jeff started tickling him.

I'm sure this is just the beginning of really funny things Cooper will come up with.

The Oscars

I'm watching The Oscars as we speak, but rest assured, I have already watched the Red Carpet special and been through pictures online, so I feel well prepared to make assessments on the fashions.

First, I don't understand the big deal about Angelina Jolie's dress. Yes, there was a major slit up the leg, but she didn't stand any different than anyone else posing on the red carpet. Actually for Angelina, I thought the dress was tame and anticlimatic:


Octavia Spencer looked wonderful in her dress and I'm so glad she won for "The Help." Well deserved.


Who put gold lame back on the fashion map? Eeek. Even Stacy Keibler, who I think makes good fashion choices, couldn't save this dress:

Thankfully, she had the dashing George Clooney there to save her from complete failure. Does he ever look bad?

While I loved Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids" and still can snort and laugh my way through it, I just didn't think her dress did anything for her:



I loved Viola Davis's dress. The color, cut, and design looked great on her:


Tina Fey!! She looked so pretty- loved her hair.


I'm not on "The Artist" bandwagon and don't know that I ever will be. I admire that it stepped out of what we consider to be normal Hollywood movies, but I'm just not sure about it.
And I'm not sure about Berenice Bejo's dress, especially with her hair color:


I really wanted to like Missi Pyle's dress, her being a Germantown grad and all, but it just wasn't there. The strap coming off the shoulder look like an ill-fitting gown instead of fashion statement and the bottom didn't match the top. I liked the color, though:


It takes a special man, more specifically, a special 82 year old man, to pull off a purple velvet tux. Christopher Plummer did it and did it well. And if you haven't seen "Beginners", you should.


I also loved Kelly Ripa's and Nancy O'Dell's dresses. I think Nancy O'Dell's could have been a little less yellow, but the design and cut of it were perfect. And Kelly Ripa is pretty much a Barbie doll, so how hard could she have been to fit in a dress?



My favorite- hands down- was Emma Stone. If I could pull off wearing a big bow on a dress, I would everyday.


Billy Crystal did a pretty good job hosting, much better than Anne Hathaway and James Franco. I thought Chris Rock presenting the animation award was hilarious! I did think it was shameful that those that made the documentary "Undefeated" about the Manassas football team didn't even thank the players and coaches who, without them, they wouldn't have had a movie.

The real awards season is over, sadly, so it's back to Pinterest and Cooper update posts. Sorry to all 2 readers!