Go Phillies!

We dressed in our Phillies clothes, took some Phillies photos to send to John, and ate "Phillies stew" for dinner - And it worked!  Yay for the No Hitter! 

The girls both like the excitement and high fives, but Sylvie actually does like watching the games. Then again, she likes watching ALL TV.  We both loved the commercial below and kept hoping it would play again.

Sylvie has been watching some shows on the Sprout channel lately, which unfortunately has commercials.  She only watches at most an hour, and on days when she has school, she doesn't see any TV.  However, she can quote, almost word for word the commercial for "Pillow Pets", which she has become obsessed with.  The other day at breakfast she said "Every child needs a pillow, why not make it a fun pillow?".  Oh my goodness, if I had her memory.  Santa Claus started shopping early this year, and we now have pillow pets hiding in the closet - she better not change her mind!  

She also loves Glee, but I only let her watch the performances on-line or listen to the songs - the show is not for 3 year olds.  I only caught bits and pieces of the first 2 episodes this year, but last night's episode was my favorite of the year, and one of my very favorites ever. 

http://www.fox.com/glee/full-episodes Season 2 Episode 3

LOVE THAT SHOW! 

The other day Sylvie had two play phones in her hands as she came up to me in her pretend mode. 

"Ugh, these people keep calling me on both phones.  When they call on this phone the blue tooth picks up, but now they're calling on this phone.  That's ok though, because this one is touch pad, and I LOVE touch pad, and you can change colors and stuff."  What?!!  Seriously, she is 3 years old!

Just in case you had an interest, here was our "Phillies Stew" (from Prevention Magazine called "Turkey, Sweet Potato and Cranberry Stew) for anyone who loves Thanksgiving food as much as I do!:

3 lb turkey drumsticks, skin removed (I used chicken, because that's what I had)

1 sm onion diced

1 T honey

1 T cider vinegar

1.5 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger (didn't have, didn't use)

1 tsp salt

0.5 tsp black pepper

1 c chk stock

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/2 c dried cranberries

1. Combine turkey, onion, honey, vinegar, and stock in large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 5 hours.  Add potatoes and cranberries.  Cook until potatoes are tender, 45 minutes more. 

2. Remove turkey and pull meat from bones.  Pour one-quarter of the liquid into a small pot and whisk in flour until smooth.  Slowly whisk in remaining liquid.

3.  Toss meat, potatoes, and cranberries with gravy and reheat if necessary.  Yum!! 

Lots of love, 

Keri

mega milestones

Lots of great big milestones for the Tex family over the last few days.  1.  I felt the baby - with my hand on my stomach :)  I don't know if he has had a growth spurt or just been in a good position, but I felt baby boy from the outside while laying in my bed watching TV on Friday night...Yay!
Baby's first photo from when I was 12 weeks - he has grown so much:

2.  Sylvie felt the baby!  She was next to me Saturday afternoon when I started feeling those feisty kicks again, and after a few patient tries....success!  She was a bit weirded out, but is now excited for whenever the next time rolls around.

3.  Stella took her nap in her big girl bed today.  Sylvie has been BEGGING for Stella to take naps with her in the room they will soon share, and I gave in a few times last week.  Each time I tucked a little smirking Stella into bed and as soon as I would leave the room, she was up and about and ready to destroy the room.  Syvlie kept begging me to give her "JUST ONE MORE CHANCE!", but Stella ended up in her crib each time...until today.  Both girls took great naps in the same room.  Now, Sylvie is begging for me to let Stella sleep the night in there....one step at a time.  I am not in a rush to set Stella free from her crib!

4.  Stella went pee pee on the potty!!  Before bath-time, just as I used to do with Sylvia, I have been putting Stella on her little potty.  She never lasted more than 2 seconds until tonight, when she actually sat there 5 minutes or so until she went.  Stella was very confused about what happened, but you would have thought Sylvie won the lottery.  She kept shouting "oh, my goodness, Yay, Stella, Yay!"  Every teeny tiny potty-training milestone MUST be celebrated :)

(The photos in this post are just a few from over the summer that I never got around to organizing or posting.)

Lots of love, 

Keri

the butterfly bag

This morning when Stella woke up, Sylvie came with me to get her out of the crib and gave her great big hugs.  Stella, as always, looked like a poor, shaggy little dog who couldn't see (did you see the video in the last post?!).  Sylvie looked up and said to me "Mom, I like it better when Stella doesn't have her pony tail in.  She is more cuddly."  More cuddly?  "Yeah, she's softer!" 

May you both always have as many cuddly hugs as you wish....

Today, when Sylvie came out of her classroom, I thought she was stealing someone else's cute little butterfly bag (the girl loves butterflies!).  It was her new prize for having so many good behavior days for the month of September.  She was soooo proud, and walked out to the car smiling ear to ear.  On the way home, she told me one other little boy got a "Cars" T-shirt.  I asked her what the other kids picked, and she said "Mom, it doesn't matter.  No one else got the coolest prize, because I got the coolest prize."  May you always have such confidence!

Sylvie stood so nicely for me to take her picture with that coolest prize, but Stella just wanted more hugs.....and in the end, I got cute pictures of the hugs And the bag. 

May you always be so patient with your little sister (and brother) and so happy with the little things in life :)

Lots of love, 

Keri