Nicky Was Here

There's nothing like entering a room and discovering that for the 30 seconds you were changing out the laundry, your child was dismantling the place. Nicky knows what is off limits but sometimes I think those forbidden drawers and rooms are way too tempting. So, here's my list of ways I know Nicky has been where he shouldn't be.

1. There are 5 water bottles laying around in disarray.
2. My chapstick is on the floor and there's a gaping finger-shaped hole in the center. Yes, I've thrown away about 4 tubes of chapstick by now. You'd think I would find a better hiding place :). 3. There's a puddle of water on the floor.
4. The drawer is empty and the contents are not just pulled out but are flung around the room.
5. The remote to the TV is MIA. Usually to be found behind the rocking chair in his room.
6. The look on his face tells me everything I need to know...except where he hid my cell phone.

Merry Christmas!

We have had an extremely busy holiday season but today, we just sat back and relaxed with family and friends. We had such a wonderful day! Grant and I were blessed with many great gifts but I think my favorite gifts were those given to Nicky. Grant and I got him a firetruck which he loved and even ate lunch in it. He received lots of toys but several meaningful gifts including a flag my mom had flown over the nation's capitol in his honor. As a family, we got a Wii which has been in use most of the day :). Here's a few highlights of our Christmas...

Breakfast in his favorite drawer.

Nicky in his new firetruck with Elmo.

Christmas 2007...and no, Nicky was not happy about taking this picture :).

Too Cute!

Tonight Nicolas decided to empty the kitchen drawer and climb inside. I think he was curious but I think he also figured out that if he could stand up in the drawer, he'd have more access to all the interesting things on the countertop. It was too cute to pass up!

Last Christmas

This was our Christmas picture from last year. I think I look more tired than I do today (probably because back then I was still getting up with Nick at least 2-3 times a night) but it was a wonderful time. There's something wonderful that children add to Christmastime that is hard to explain. Last year was so much fun just having Nicky around, but this year, it's even better. He gets so excited about the lights on the Christmas tree, the singing snowman figurines, and the sparkly gifts under the tree. I know he doesn't understand what it's all about yet, but he adds an element to Christmas that I never knew I was missing until he came along. I love it!

We have yet to take a Christmas picture this year. Life has just been too crazy. Hopefully we'll take it soon and I'll post it as soon as we do. It's fun to look back at the year before and see how much he's grown. Boy, does it go by fast...

Truffles

Truffles are one of my favorite treats and today I had a fabulous one - milk chocolate and chambord. We discovered a new place (at least new to us) as we were looking for Christmas gifts to send out to customers and vendors. It's called Telluride Truffles out of Telluride, CO(http://www.telluridetruffle.com/) and since we wanted to know exactly what we were sending people, we had a box sent to us as well. I only had one but was one of the best I've ever had. So...if you have a sweet tooth, give it a try. You won't regret it.

My Top 10 Favorite Comfort Foods

With Christmas right around the corner, I've been thinking about all my favorite foods that I'd like to enjoy before I need to get back on the wagon and start watching what I eat. Most of my comfort foods are linked to a memory of some sort. Many of those memories involve my mother and the fact that she probably made that dish just for me, even if no one else liked it. That always made me feel so special. So with that in mind, here is a list of some of my favorites that I like especially during the holidays and in no particular order...

1. Yams - yes, smothered in brown sugar and marshmallows. Although I do love plain old sweet potatoes...
2. Hot Chocolate - while this hasn't always been a favorite, I discovered (while I was pregnant with Nicky) Godiva has a fabulous hot chocolate and now I love it!
3. Biscuits
4. Brown Beans - I was raised on them and I love them...even if it makes me a little weird :).
5. Brownies - warm and gooey.
6. Homemade Potato Soup
7. Taco Soup
8. Ham - while I have sworn off pork for the most part, every now and then, a good slice of ham just sounds so good.
9. Blueberry Muffins - of course, the wonderful ones my mom makes.
10. Sausage Biscuits - my dad used to make them on Sunday mornings and they were soooo yummy!

Piggy Back Rides

As a child, I remember piggy back rides and I loved them. Well, now it's my turn to be the piggy :). Nicky has discovered them and it is his new favorite thing to do. Being as how he is only 23 pounds, I enjoy it but I wonder how long that will last as he gets bigger...