Lessons in parenting--Part 1

I'm a mom of one 19 month old boy.  I'm no expert on motherhood but these are a few lessons I've learned.  Maybe they'll be helpful to someone else but mostly I hope I can refer back to them in the future for Baby K #2 or #3 or #4 or #10 (kidding).  

1) Distraction can work like a charm.  It can stop tantrums and get a toddler to do what you want.  For example--major melt down because he wants the scissors or some other dangerous object.  After freaking out (which you try your hardest not to do because the object then becomes more enticing to the toddler) you distract by attracting his attention to something more appealing (like daddy, the dog, a toy).

2) Singing is good for the soul and good for getting a toddler's attention.  It's also great for getting toddler to sit still for diaper changes and getting dressed.  Since I've had our little guy I've been doing a lot of singing--singing in the mornings when I go in his room, singing at bedtime, singing his favorite toddler tunes.  I've also been singing songs to help me get him dressed...you put left arm in, you put left arm out....you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, and that's what it's all about...He loves it and now he's at the point where he also tries to sing the songs with me.

3) It's ok to drop everything and enjoy the moment with your kiddo.  Don't be afraid to stop everything, get down on the kitchen floor at his eye level and be silly with him.  My little boy loves when I get to his eye level and make silly faces.  His favorite is my fish face.  It's even better when he tries to make the face.  The work or whatever it is will almost always be there.  It's ok to take a break and enjoy the moment.  Good for the kiddo and good for you too.

4) On the same note, it's not only ok for kiddos to get the silly's out.  Mommies can do it and it's even more fun when you do it with the kiddos.  Dancing, singing, being silly is great.  Do whatever works for you.

5) Getting frustrated is normal.  I love my little guy to death but he frustrates me sometimes.   I no longer feel bad about this.  I mean, we are human, right.  Some things that usually help to reduce my frustration is to give him a hug and kiss.  This works when he gets angry and it works for me too.  Taking a break and walking away helps too.  The most effective intervention for me is to send him to daddy so that he can frustrate him a little :).

6) Toddlers appreciate it when you talk to them.  They may not understand everything or respond but they like it.  Whenever I ask our little guy about his day, he rambles on about something.  He also repeats what I say to him.  I think he feels validated when we converse.

7) Embarrassment is a part of raising children.  I just figure he'll be paid back one day when I'm "old."  LOL.  And thankfully I'm dark-skinned so people can't see when I turn red. Ha! My toddler's new thing is yelling bug.  I taught him how to say the word a few weeks ago and he yells it out even at a piece of lint.  He yells it out everywhere...church, library, at the dinner table.  For example we'll be in church and he'll see a piece of lint (NOT a bug) and start yelling loudly...bug, bug, bug, bug.  He continues to yell this until I distract him.  There's no warning so he has scared me before with his loud "bug" yell.

8) Toddler tunes on Pandora radio is awesome.  It makes car rides more enjoyable.  He sings-a-long instead of whining to get out of his car seat.  It's also great at home.

9) Carry extra clothes for all.  And just in case you forget, being a mess for a few hours is ok.  There are worse things in life.  Actually helping to create some of the mess can be fun at times, although it's not fun cleaning it up.

10) The house does not have to be spic and span.  Coming to this realization was awesome.  I still like things organized but I'm less obsessive about it.  And you know what, I'm fussing at my husband less for his mess too.

11) Kids change everything--mostly for the better!  We had our son when we were ready.  He was planned.  Hubby and  I had been married for a few years.  We did some traveling.  We even had the dogs to practice.  We were very ready  but still nothing could have prepared us for the change of life.  But you know what we love every moment of being parents and would not change it for the world.  Although I always knew I wanted children it was something I feared for so many reason.  I'm a "want everything to be almost perfect kind of gal" and I don't like rocking the boat too much especially when I'm comfortable.  But looking back my fears were kind of ridiculous and I'm glad that I didn't let them make me delay expanding our family.

12) I am more unselfish than I thought I was.  It's amazing how easy it is for me to sacrifice sleep, time, energy for my little guy.  It doesn't even feel like a sacrifice because it comes so natural to me.  I used to be someone who hated getting up early, now I wake up earlier than my son and wait eagerly for him to wake up so I can run in his room.

13) Kids make you a better person.  Honestly!  My son brings me so much joy.  He makes me want to be a better person.  I behave better because I want to be a good example for him.  I am more "mindful" about what I say and do because I know there are little ears and little eyes around.  I'm so used to cheerfully giving to him that giving to others also come easier.

14) Being consistent is important.  AND I still need to work on this.  That's all I'm going to say about that ;).

15) Discipline with love.  Discipline and manners are important.  My Jamaican grandpa always says "bend di tree when it young."  You get the point.  This is tough but I think it's best to start early and to lead by example.  

15) Think of most things as a phase (both the bad and sometimes the good).  I remember when I thought my son would never stop spitting up...then lo and behold he stopped.  I remember when I thought he would never sleep more than 2 hours then more than 6 hours then sleep through the night.  I was proven wrong.  I remember when I thought he would never crawl, or walk, or run or talk or....you name it.  I was proven wrong so many times.  I remember when I thought he would never gain weight because he's such a picky eater...er...well, this is still ongoing and I haven't been proven wrong yet but I know I will be.  It's helpful for me to think of things in phases to especially help me get through the challenging moments.  Thinking this way also helps me to savor the sweet moments too.

16) There's no such thing as a perfect parent.  We have all these goals about the type of parent we should be or want to be.  Try your best but know that things will go wrong.  Flexibility is important.  For example if your kiddo is 18 months and is just finally off the pacifier--IT's OK!  You should laugh at yourself for thinking that the paci will be gone by 9 months.

17) Let the past have a positive influence on how you parent.  Some people have had horrible pasts and others have had rosy pasts--wherever you lie on the spectrum, make the conscious choice to try to do a good job.  Although challenging, even people with difficult pasts can be great parents!

What other parenting lessons have you learned (even if you are not a parent)?  I'll include them in my Part 2 of this topic. 

And don't forget to laugh out loud once in a while :)

Mrs. K

It's Official

I need to only use the oven for baking main dishes and NOT desserts.  I am really bad at making desserts (especially in the oven) and I am officially giving up (for now).  Tonight, I tried to surprise my husband by making cinnamon rolls (of course courtesy of Pillsbury) and I failed miserable.  I misread and placed the oven on 425 for 25 minutes instead of 325.  You can only imagine how bad they looked.  Hubby said that they didn't taste too bad but I think he was trying to be nice OR maybe he's not very picky.  I say they tasted terrible (like cardboard with icing on top).

Anyway, we are going on a road trip from North Carolina to New York next week.  We plan to stop in DC for about 3 days, stop in Philly for a day then go up to NY and spend 3 days in the city.  On our way back to NC we plan to rent a cabin for about 2-3 days to chill out before going back to work.  We've never done the DC tour before so we need your help.  Do you have any recommendations about where to visit/eat?  What to do?  The only part of our trip that is planned so far is that we are seeing Wicked on Broadway.  We would appreciate any tips.  Thanks!

Mrs. K

Another quick drop in

So I figure something is better than nothing.  This is just another quick hello.  If I had visitors or friends in my home it would be rude for me not to say hello.  So......BIG HELLO to all.

The new job is a bit stressful due to all the adjustments, transitions, etc but it is more stressful for me because of my OCD nature.  The good news is I am learning to CALM DOWN and take a breather once in a while.  It also helps having a very supportive and sweet husband.  I'd be a complete mess (instead of just a partial mess) if my home life was stressful too.  I thank God for that.

Anyway, so I love living in NC.  There's so much to DO, so much to EAT, so much to SEE (but not right now...maybe later).  It's just nice to know that I've got sooo many options.  Another thing is that we are surprised at how  many "us couples" there are and the fact that no one cares that we are IR.  We love it.  My husband and I joke that we are bland and no longer superstars because we are not getting stares from everyone.

Some upcoming plans include more church hunting, finish unpacking, hanging out with family this weekend.  I'm sure there's a lot more to do but this is all I can think of right now.  I'll continue to drop in and provide quick updates until I'm settled then I'll write "real" posts :).

BTW...thanks for dropping in and for leaving your sweet and supportive comments.  I'm about to go check out a few of your blogs!

Mrs. K

A quick visit

Hey all!  I hope you ladies have been wonderful.  This is the longest break I've taken from blogging.  It's been almost a month since my last post.  I hope I wont go this long without posting again.  Anyway, in addition to not posting I've also been very behind on most of the blogs I follow but I plan to catch up soon.  

Soooo much has happened over the past month.  I wish I could tell you that I was on vacation in some beautiful country but that would not be true :).  I've been attending graduations and weddings, moved to a different state, unpacking/decorating the new house and orienting for a new job.   So far it's been great (thank God) but it's been hectic.

I just wanted to drop you all a line to let you know that I'm still alive and haven't given up on blogging (yet). LOL.  Thanks for  hanging in there with me.  I look forward to catching up on what you all have been up to soon.

Mrs. K

The verdict on the house in NC

Just wanted to update you all about our North Carolina trip.  We went this past weekend to take care of some business and to see the house that we are renting.  I am happy to report that we like it overall.  The bedrooms are a little small but they will do.  The house has a lot more storage space than our current house which is great because my husband and I have a lot of stuff.  The yard is huge and I think the dogs will love it.  I like the quiet neighborhood.

Some things that we do not like but hopefully will be fixed by the time we get there include the house needing to be painted.  It was built in 1999 which is older than our house but that doesn't bother me.  It just needs to be painted.  The owners say they will paint, pressure wash the outside of the house and driveway, and work on the landscaping before we move in.  I hope they stick to their word because these are the main things that I don't particularly like right now.

I know that we are just renting and we will only live in it for 2 years but I like a well kept home (inside and out).  My husband and I joke that we will probably take better care of it than the owners.  I'll definitely make sure the inside stays immaculate and my husband will take care of the yard work.

It was good seeing the house.  In my true OCD planning/organizing self I've been typing up a word document about how I want each room set up (the color scheme included).  OK, don't judge me. LOL.  There's a reason for that.  Once we move, I will only have about 1 week to decorate the house before starting work.  I have to make sure that the majority of the house is set up or else it wont get done once I start working.

Pic of the front of the house

We are looking forward to grilling out on the deck

 Anyway we like it and we look forward to making it our home for the next 2 years.

Mrs. K

We're officially landlords

Well not yet since we are not moving for another month.  But we found a family to rent our home.  We are so excited.  I mean it sucks that we have to rent because the market isn't too good and we are not trying to sell because we are upside down on our mortgage.  But things could be worse.  

We rented our house without having to negotiate or go down on the rental price.  I think that the whole thing was a blessing.  The family that we are renting to seem really cool and most importantly clean and responsible.  The dad seems like a handy man so they probably wont freak out at the drop of a hat.  Anyway, the "cherry on top" about the whole deal is that they are also potential buyers.  They plan to permanently relocate to the area so they are possibly looking to buy it in a few years (at least that's what they say).  Yippee!!!

I must admit that although this is all good, there is still some minor anxiety about renting.  You never really know what you're getting into unless you're into it or beyond it.  You know what I mean.  Well, regardless, I'm staying positive and having faith that things will work out.

Mrs. K

Great long weekend

Although it wasn't a holiday hubby and I had a 3 day weekend.  We decided to take off Friday and head to the beach.  Hubby knows someone who owns a beach house in Sandestin, FL and we stayed there the whole weekend.  It was so fun and relaxing and so very needed.  We He drove down Thursday night (while I slept).   I tried to stay awake but when sleep calls, it's over for me. 

As I was saying, we had a great time.  We had a lot of alone time (which we always have since we don't have children as yet) but we also spent a few hours hanging out with his family which was also great.  We took tons of pictures but I have to get ready for work tomorrow so here's just one...

Want to hear something funny: hubby brought dressie shoes but they were both for the right foot so he ended up wearing sneakers. Too funny! He was mad but I thought it was hilarious.  Sounds like something I would do.

 Hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend too!

Mrs. K

We've met some good people here...

As hubby and I are  preparing to pack up and move to another state, I've been thinking more about the relationships we've built while in our current one.  We have met some great couples here (some with kids and others without).  It would be awesome if I could transplant them to North Carolina but I know that's not possible.  My plan is to keep in touch as best I can (although I'm horrible at it) and to visit often (either them visiting us or the reverse).

We hung out with one of these couples this past weekend.  They live in Biloxi, MS and has 3 adorable kiddos.  Since hubby and I don't have any kids yet, it's a lot easier for us to just pack up and go somewhere for the weekend.  We decided to drive about 3 hours to make waffles for this lovely family (and of course just to hang out too).  My hubby is on this whole making waffles thing for all our friends.  I love it because I think it's so sweet.  He gets all excited about it and prepares ahead of time.

Anyway, we drove down (or up...I'm bad with directions) to Biloxi on Friday night after work.  We were greeted with happy faces and tasty BBQ as soon as we arrived.  D is a stay at home mom that is really a supermom.  Her house is very nicely (and uniquely) decorated, clean, and she makes yummy food.  On Saturday morning we went to watch their 10 year old son play baseball.  He's a superstar at baseball with a Justin Bieber haircut.  Their 2 adorable daughters also went to the game.  After the game we all had my husband's Liege Belgian waffles.  They were a hit and I'm drooling now as I'm typing because I want one.

M: future pro-baseball player

H & A: 2 cutie patuties

Us at the baseball game.  Excuse the wild looking hair.  I call it my "lion hair"

Later that evening, they got a baby sitter so the adults could have some fun.  We went to downtown Ocean Springs  and visited tons of  little shops.  I bought a cute shirt/dress.  We also hung out at the beach for a little while.  We visited the Beau Rivage (hotel/casino) and watched old folks choke on their cigarettes while pulling the handle on slot machines.  Really, that place was a smoker's paradise and I had to dart out of there before my asthma got the best of me.  Anyway, we ate biegnet's before dinner and they were soooo good.  Yum! I've got a sweet tooth, can you tell?

Later that evening we ate at a restaurant called the Blue Fly Inn.  It was not aesthetically pretty but it was on the bay and had a very calming feel.  It also had a family atmosphere and the seafood was good.  I had the Blackened Snapper and hubby had the Stuffed Flounder.  I was so full that hubby ordered dessert and I didn't even touch a piece (highly unusual for me).  Unfortunately hubby had to work the next day so we drove home that night.  Overall it was a great trip.

At the Blue Fly Inn.  See...not too fancy but the food was terrific.

We had such a good time.  It was great hanging out with a couple who were cool, funny, and share similar values as us.   I know people say that it gets more difficult to make friends the older one gets but that is not the case for me.  I've formed some very meaningful relationships over the past few years.  I also look forward to even forming more in North Carolina.

Oh BTW, we found a house to rent in NC and sealed the deal.  Yay! 

Mrs. K

Frightening Night

Last night was a bit scary.  My honey wasn't home and we had a thunderstorm in my area.  I usually sleep well at night but last night I was awoken from my sleep (which I love oh so much) by the bright flashing lights of lightening and the loud clapping of thunder.  It took me a while to go back to sleep.  As soon as I was dozing off I was again alarmed by the loud sounds of tornado sirens.  Those things are freaking scary.  Here I am half asleep and this loud siren goes off.  Totally freaked out and alone I half-panicked.  I did not know what the heck to do.  I've never lived in a place that had these loud sirens going off in the middle of the night before.  At first I didn't know what the heck the sound was.

I called my honey within seconds (after wiping the sleep out of my eyes that is) but got no answer.  You see, he has been at a ski resort in Utah for the past few days.  He's at a conference there and he has no cell phone signal in this remote area.  Yeah, pretty crappy for me at 1:52am.  

I had all these crazy scenarios in my head about what I should do.  I looked out the window and saw that I was not the only person who couldn't sleep because of this annoying sound.  I still wasn't sure what was going on.  We don't have TV and there was no radio upstairs for me to try to figure out what had happened.  I finally got some sense and checked the weather channel app on my phone and figured out that we were on a tornado watch.  I breathed a sigh of relief because I finally knew what that crazy sound was.  I mean, for all I knew it could've been an alien invasion (lol).  Not long after feeling better I then started thinking about what I needed to do.  

I knew if my husband was home I wouldn't need to think about this because he would just take care of everything.  But he wasn't home and he couldn't be reached.  Well he could but at the time, I didn't think to call his room.  I thought about the dogs then I was reminded by Gideon's (our great dane) loud howling (trying to mimic the siren) that they were safe inside too.  I was glad that the doggies were in the house because it would have been very challenging for me to go downstairs, much less go outside to bring them in.  I know that's evil but I was scared.  Ha! 

I wondered about what precautions I needed to take since I hadn't been in a situation like this before.  I googled "what to do in a tornado watch" and saw a few recommendations.  They recommended going to the lowest level in the house but there was no way I was leaving my "safe at the time" bedroom.  Based on other recs I spent the rest of the night sleeping on the floor, away from the window (between my bed and the wall).   My goal was to get back on the bed eventually but I woke up this am by the sound of my alarm telling me it's time to start my day.

It was an interesting experience.  I know I'm a punk but I've seen too many crazy tornado movies/stories in the past to not take certain precautions. LOL

Picture Credit

Mrs. K

North Carolina vacation recap

A brief update on life since I've been missing for over a week.  Lots of pix included.

Vacation went well in NC.  On the way we got to hang out with some good friends.  We did look at some homes but it's too early to seal the deal on anything.  We are planning on renting for several reasons: 1) we bought the house that we are living in now but can't sell it because we will lose tons of money so we will rent it.  We don't want to have to be juggling two mortgages 2) We will be in NC for at least 2 years.  We are not sure if we will settle there once we are done with our training.  We don't want to purchase a home then move again in a few years.  3) If we do decide to stay in NC, we'd like to stake out neighborhoods before we jump into a purchase.

Hun checking out one of the houses we liked in NC

The most fun yet relaxing were the last few days that hubby and I spent with my cousin and her fiance'.  They are really cool down to earth people and we had such a good time.  At the cabin we had no cell phone signal so we were cut off from civilization for a few days.  I didn't mind though.  The cabin was in the mountains and it was so peaceful.  I would have preferred to be there in the fall for the foliage but it was beautiful regardless.

One of the trails we went on, the trail map described a beautiful waterfall (see above).  It was beautiful but a lot smaller than expected.

Future Mr. and Mrs. S

Mr and Mrs. K

Goofy cousins pretending to be serious for the camera

Guys will be guys (notice the distance btw them)

My future cousin-in-law.  He is such a sweet guy and compliments my cousin so well.

Mrs. K

Red Egg and Ginger Party

One of our friends/hubby's coworker invited us to a Red Egg and Ginger party held by he and his wife for their son.  When my husband told me about the invitation I was excited because I love parties and other social events but I had no clue what type of event it was.  Thanks to Google I was able to figure it out.  

So from what I've gathered, this is a common celebration in Chinese culture.  It is done 30 days after a child is born.  It's basically celebrating the baby's one month birthday.  Here's some more information from E-how online:

The Egg

-a symbol of fertility, renewal of life, unity and harmony in Chinese culture. They are dyed red as a symbol of good luck.

Picture credit

The Ginger

-adds a bit of hot spice to the yin and yang balance of traditional Chinese food. The infant's mother is thought to need this yang after the tiring process of giving birth.

The Name 

-were very important in ancient Chinese culture. It was believed that a person's name may have an impact on future life events. Because choosing a name was so important, the infant's entire family helped to choose one as part of the red egg and ginger party.

The Gifts 

-guests at a red egg and ginger party bring a gift for the baby. Traditionally, guests gift jade to symbolize luck, health and happiness or articles of clothing with tigers on them to watch over the child. Money can also be gifted in a red envelope; it's known as lucky money.

The Future

-the red egg and ginger party is often the only time a child's birthday is celebrated.  Birthdays are usually celebrated only by the elderly. 

Anyway, the party was held at a Chinese restaurant.  I thought the couple would rent out a room in the restaurant so I was surprised when I saw that they reserved the entire restaurant.  I was even more shocked when the place was jam-packed with people.  We were so excited to be a part of such an important moment in their baby's life.  The baby was dressed in a traditional Chinese outfit and he was so adorable.

Here I am with the red egg (see below).  According to the baby's uncle the eggs are supposed to be dyed completely red but instead they came out with an interesting pattern.  The uncle also told me that I had to eat the egg for good luck.  Now I'm not superstitious but I wasn't chancing it so I ate the egg. lol.  My husband ate his egg also.  Interestingly, I found out that it was his first time eating a boiled egg.  I actually didn't know that before.  No matter how well you know someone there is always so much more to discover.

Me, holding up the egg after I found out that it wont stand up on it's own. Took me a while to figure that out. LOL

Here's the egg w/o the shell.  I was a little scared to eat it because of the dye but apparently it was safe.  Also I didn't want any fertility bad luck if I didn't eat it--Kidding.

Mrs. K

Blessing in disguise

Yesterday was such a blessing.  Remember in my last post I mentioned that my camera was no longer working.  I was so disappointed that I could not capture pictures of some of the holiday events.   Anyway, I told my hubby about the camera and he reminded me that we have a 2 year replacement plan on it.  We went back to Best Buy yesterday and walked out with a brand new camera for free (with all the accessories and all).  So of course I wanted a digital SLR and was hoping that we could get one yesterday and pay the difference but we couldn't afford it.  Or at least we thought it wasn't wise to get one at this time.  It will remain on my wish list for now.  If you have any ideas/advice about a reasonable priced digital SLR for an amateur please send them my way.

New camera (same as old camera). Picture credit

The first picture I took with my new camera was a picture of some cross training sneakers I saw in the store that I'll probably buy online (hopefully for cheaper).  Of course we also took some photos of the doggies and kitty.  Mr. K and I also took our "before" pictures since we both will be starting the Insanity workout videos.  Actually we both did the Fit Test this morning which was tough.  I'm excited about it though and I plan to Dig Deeper.  By the way, I wanted to mention that I found out about Insanity through a fellow blogger Motivation Mama Drama.  I also want to thank her for being so positive and for motivating me to attempt Insanity.

Picture credit

Mrs. K

Weekend Review: Look Who's Enjoying Fall

Unless you know me personally, you probably don't know which state I live in.  That was deliberate.  Although I've revealed a lot about myself through blogging there is plenty more to tell.  I think when I first started blogging I didn't disclose where I live for several reasons. 

The main reason is that I'm paranoid (sometimes) and fear that in this very public blogging world someone will try to stalk me.  Yah, I know it sounds crazy.  Come on, I know I'm not the only one who has had these initial thoughts when first starting blogging, right?  Anyway, another reason I did not say which state I live in is because I did not want to be judged based on where I live.  I know it sounds silly but I will explain.

For the past 2 years I have been living in Mississippi for school/work.  I will be honest and say that my feelings about Mississippi before knowing that I was going to move here was pretty neutral.  I really didn't know too much about the state.  All I knew was that it's a part of the South.  Shortly after announcing that I was going to be temporarily moving here, my friends and family had a lot of concerns and associates had a lot of jokes (negative ones of course).

I tried to understand.  People told me about that old movie (Mississippi Burning) that depicted Mississippi in a negative way.  (Whisper: I still have not seen the movie yet)I have learned that Mississippi is ranked number 1 in teen pregnancy, obesity and poverty.  There is such negative views about Mississippi that when you are leaving the Jackson airport there is even a sign about people being able to read.  

After living here I must say that I think it's a great place.  Now, we don't have children so I cannot comment about the schools.  However we have met some awesome people here that we hope to keep in touch with even when we move (Summer 2011).  We love our church.  There are a lot of great restaurants.  Oh yeah there's one Jamaican restaurant here but it's only open 8-5 M-F when I'm working (so sad).  My husband and I complain that there isn't a lot to do but we have discovered that there are things to do but you just have to go looking for them (a somewhat difficult task for us with our work schedule).  But we try!

Ok, I know this was supposed to be a weekend recap but I'm tangential as you can see.  So,  I said all of the above to talk about my weekend events (particularly on Saturday).  

My husband and I were talking about weekend plans on Friday night.  It is rare that we have the entire weekend off together.  I suggested that we drive the Natchez Trace Parkway.  This was something that was suggested to me a while back by some lovely locals but we never did it.  At first we were going to take our dogs with us but decided not to.  Instead we brought friends (another great couple that we met here in MS).  Since it was my idea my husband told me to get some plans together.  Here is how our Saturday went:

Drove the scenic Natchez Trace:

Picture Credit

Still on the Trace (stopped to check out the beautiful scenery and take pics)

Unsuccessful attempt to climb a tree.  I didn't attempt because I was wearing the wrong shoes.  It was not very smart of me to wear dress shoes on such a trip.  I also never check the weather so I was too warm in the outfit I had on. Ha!

Visited an old plantation built in the 1800s which apparently was considered luxurious then

I know that you can hardly see my face but I love this photo (the field and that fence)

Arrived in Natchez, MS and stopped to get some grub:

Great little place to eat and we all enjoyed our meals.  They are apparently all organic.  The owner was so sweet (with her little southern accent).  They also sell their spices and other products online so you can check them out if you're interested.

Watch the Natchez Balloon Race:

The Mississippi River Pre-Balloon Race

I will try to explain the race.  Each balloon is to try to get as close to the barge as possible (of course without hitting it).  Once close enough someone in the balloon is to toss a rope that hopefully will land on or close to a target area on the barge.  According to the locals each competitor has the chance to win a lot of money or even large items such as cars.  Isn't that neat?  This was the first one to attempt.

Isn't it pretty?  I kept wishing I could be in one of the balloons.

One of my favorites.  Very patriotic.  It was even more amazing when it was up close and right before my eyes.   Whenever the bright flames would burst out the base, it sounded like the noise that the whales make when breathing through their blowholes.  I thought for a split second that there were whales in the water below but was reminded that it was the Mississippi River and not the Mississippi sea.  What can I say, I've got blond roots at times :)

My husband's least favorite, as he pointed out ("why is it so small?"). LOL

My final balloon pic.  We got tired and decided to head home.  We don't know who won but we didn't mind, we still had a great time!

Enjoying the festivities!

Hope you enjoyed a little taste of our weekend and some of what MS has to offer.  Overall, it was a great Saturday.  Today we went to church (as usual).  We then took the dogs in the woods and played hide and seek with them.  It was so much fun.  Oh yeah, we also took them to Petsmart to socialize them.  Thankfully they are good with other dogs and people.  For dinner my hubby will make the meat (jerk ahi tuna--with a pink center of course) and I will make the sides (edamame and spinach).  Yum!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

Mrs. K

Shhh....Come closer I gotta tell you a secret.

Picture credit

First you have to promise you wont tell a sole.  Do you promise?  Pinky swear? Ok then, I'll tell you.  Come closer I have to whisper. 

So here it is.  I have a wicked sweet tooth.  Yes, it is so ridiculous.  This is nothing new of course.  I've been this way since forever.  I'm writing about this because last night I was reminded of this.  I'm actually cracking up as I write about how ridiculous it is.

Alright, so my husband and I went to the gym last night.  After getting back I had the biggest sweets craving I've had in a long time.  Knowing that I love sweets and I have absolutely no self control I never buy sweets or junk food.  If you visit our home we almost never have any cookies, chips, ice cream, etc. 

I started rummaging through the cabinets and refrigerator hoping and praying I would find something sweet but came up with nothing.  I was so disappointed but too lazy to go back out to get something.  I had to do something to satisfy my craving or I thought I was going to die, yes die!

This is what I did.  I'm so ashamed to say it but I have to confess.  While searching through the cabinets I came across can of sweet condensed milk.  I opened the can and you would never guess what I did next.  I got two slices of wheat bread (the only thing I could find) and spread some condensed milk on each slice like butter.  

I could not eat the first slice fast enough.  It was so good but by the time I got to the second slice reality hit me and I was like "what the heck am I eating?"  I started cracking up then proceeded to finish the second slice.  As crazy at it seemed I got the sugar fix I was looking for.  

I slept so well last night thanks to a can of condensed milk and two slices of wheat bread.

Mrs. K

This weekend

This...

Dress that I got that was too big for me from a consignment store.  I liked it and I couldn't leave it (especially for the cost).  Hopefully it will be ready by my husband's early summer graduation.  Well, I know it will be ready by then.  I just hope that I'm the one doing the alterations.

Inspired me to get this...

Kingston Precision Vintage Sewing Machine--it was barely over $20 but I thought it would be a good one to practice with.  I know that it looks pretty raggedy but I think it has a lot of character.  And it works! I may spruce it up a little as a hobby in the future--we'll see.  Also, hopefully I can sew some cute baby accessories with it one day in the future.  Who knows!

So this is the reason I have not posted much this weekend...

Trying to teach myself to use this grandmother of a sewing machine.  Notice the sticky notes (labels) on it so I can learn the different parts.  I'm trying to learn the basics and build my way up to being an expert.  Yah, right!  I've been researching the entire weekend.  I've given it a few test runs without much success but I'm not giving up (yet).

If you have any pearls on how to use this thing I would greatly appreciate it.  Send all your sewing tips/ideas this way.  By the way, that awful green color thread came with the machine.  I didn't buy it.

Mrs. K