A Professional Haircut

My little man got his hair cut again today. We opted for a professional this time and not the bathroom beauty salon. Ford did so good. He sat in his daddy’s lap and snacked on puffs while she snipped away. I don’t see how you can cut a baby’s hair. It’s like aiming at a moving target. He doesn’t look like my baby anymore, but more like a little boy. He is growing up!!!

BABY FOOD CAKE

2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 small jars baby food (I use prunes, or try apricot or plum)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Mix sugar, eggs and oil together. Add flour, baby food and cinnamon. Mix well. Add pecans. Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes in a bundt pan.

This is a recipe my grandmother (Nanny) made a lot and I think it’s delicious. I know you are thinking it wouldn’t taste good with prune baby food, but it’s actually delicious. I am making it for Thanksgiving!!!!!

Eating chocolate pudding with mom.


Shopping at Wal-Mart. Yes, I was "that girl" with my germ free cart cover!


TAKE FIVE TUESDAY

Here are the 5 random facts about me on this lovely Tuesday.

1. I don’t drink coffee. I actually think it tastes awful.
2. I get road rage (a mild case) when people go slow.
3. I enjoy mowing the grass. It’s a good workout and nice alone time.
4. I would be upset if my dishwasher ever quit working. I run it almost everyday.
5. I don’t wear brown clothes.


Looking at the deer in Daddy's office

I Love Santa

Last night Ford spent the night with Gran and Boompa for the first time. I wasn’t worried about Ford, yet I was concerned about the grandparents. Mom said he didn’t enjoy the car ride to her house, but was fine once he got there and ended up doing a great job. She brought him home this morning because Senatobia had its annual Christmas open house today. We were able to go to a few stores before Ford needed to come home and eat. We were even able to see Santa!!

CHICKEN LASAGNA

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream if chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (14 ½ ounce) can chicken broth
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 lasagna noodles (I use no boil noodles)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
*** I have never done this, but I have written down in my cook book to add rotel tomatoes or diced tomatoes.

Boil chicken breasts for 20 minutes. Drain and chop, set aside. Mix next 5 ingredients together. If you don’t use no boil noodles cook the noodles first. Layer ½ noodles, ½ chicken, ½ soup mixture and ½ cheddar cheese in 9X13 baking dish. Repeat layers. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 50-60 minutes.

Playing with mom and dad



Well, my Beth Moore Bible study is over. The past 10 weeks I have spent time in the book of Esther and reading the workbook prepared for the study. The other morning Trey asked me what all I had learned and I gave him a 2 minute run down on the book of Esther and he said it sounded like a movie. They actually do have a movie out and I plan to watch it. There of course is a bad guy in the book, Haman, who is like a modern day Hitler who tries to kill off all the Jews. And each day I could hardly wait to find out what would happen next. I won’t spoil the surprise if you aren’t familiar with the book of Esther, but I HIGHLY recommend you reading it AND getting the workbook. You don’t have to go to a Bible study to take part. You can actually download the video clips each week and watch them on your computer. Beth Moore is HILARIOUS!!!!!! You never know what she is going to say next and she really relates to women well. I am so sad it’s over and I won’t be watching her every Tuesday. It’s kind of like my good buddy has up and moved away. On Tuesday I was a little depressed. I hope to get to do her study on Daniel starting in January.


The other day Trey and I were talking about what we wanted to get Ford for Christmas. Trey then asks me what I want for Christmas. I told him 2 full nights of sleep, a maid to come clean up our house just one time and to get my hair highlighted. I thought those were reasonable requests and 2 of them are FREE. Then he says “Don’t take this the wrong way”… Okay when someone starts a sentence off with don’t take this the wrong way you know it’s not going to be good. He then said… would you like a new vacuum cleaner for Christmas. PEOPLE, I had some choice words flowing through my head when those words came out of his mouth and I quickly told him that I DID NOT WANT A VACUUM CLEANER FOR CHRISTMAS, but if he thought we needed one I would be glad to get it for one of his presents. I mean the nerve. One year my dad got a can opener for his birthday… that didn’t go over well either! We have footage on a home video (back in the 80’s).

The Chinaman Is On The Loose

The Chinaman is on the loose. Yes, you read that correctly. For those of you who haven’t been reading my blog faithfully for a while are probably wondering what in the world is she talking about. Back in July (on my birthday to be exact) I wrote about “The Chinaman” which is a small statue that Trey and I pass back and forth with my brother and sister in law. It has become somewhat of a game. For the complete story you need to check out the blog from July. I am not spoiling the surprise because the Chinaman has already been discovered in their refrigerator! Wonder when we will get him again??

BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD

1 cup butter, softened
1/s cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I think I used light)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 to 3 tablespoons sparkling white sugar

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed until smooth. Cover and chill dough 30 minutes.
Roll dough into ¼ -inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 2-inch triangle-shaped cutter; place 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 1 ½ dozen.

** I do not have cookie cutters. Therefore, one must get creative: I made mine into circles using a measure cup!!!!!

Puddin kept Ford on Saturday so Trey and I could go to the Ole Miss vs. Tennessee game.

I had several requests for more recipes and pictures of Ford. I am going to keep this blog short and sweet. I hope everyone had a good weekend!!!

Big news...

The Lamar family has big news!!!!!!!!! Now no one jump to conclusions and think… oh another baby. Lets be realistic, Ford is only 6 months old. Strangely enough, people have been asking when baby #2 is coming, and most of the time I look at them like they are insane. But like I was saying… big news… Ford is pulling up now! Trey came home from work and I said “Guess who just pulled up?” He said “me.” … (Because he had just pulled up in the driveway!) I said “no, Ford did.” And then what do you know the little guy did it 3 more times. I can’t believe he is already doing so much at such a young age. Now I really will have to be watching him like a hawk so he doesn’t get hurt.

This is one of my mom’s recipes that I grew up eating. It’s easy to cook (that’s a plus) and tastes good (yet another plus).

HAMBURGER STROGANOFF

½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
½ cup butter
1 ½ lbs ground beef
2 Tbs flour
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken coup
1 cup sour cream

Sauté onion and garlic in margarine until golden. Stir in meat, flour and seasonings and cook for 5 minutes. Add soups and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve with rice or egg noodles.

** I served mine with the wide egg noodles.

CONFESSION WEDNESDAY

I purposefully decided to post this blog on Wednesday because I have yet another confession. While we are on the topic of food I decided to go ahead and get this out there. Maybe I can inspire others to check things in their pantry as well. Oh about a week ago or so I went to get something out of the pantry and saw a box of pizza sauce. You know the kind you put on a pizza you make yourself. I thought that was interesting because I didn’t remember buying any of that in a while. I picked up the box to look for a date and will you know it EXPIRED in April 2006. That is 3.5 years ago!!!!!! That means I bought it well before that. In April 2006 I hadn’t even been married a year and we still lived in Jackson!!!!!! Have no fear, it immediately went in the garbage can along with a can of cream of onion soup that EXPIRED in October 2007! Now, don’t think I feed my family food with expired ingredients… I always check first. These particular items had gotten pushed to the back of the shelf. Now run along and check your stuff.

GROWING UP…

My little man is getting bigger. He is crawling and getting into things. Puddin told us it was time to lower Ford’s bed. We did just that on Sunday afternoon. This bed lowering has opened up a whole new world for Mr. Ford. He has figured out if he pulls up on the bumper pad that he can see out of his bed. He can even throw his pacifier out on the floor and scream bloody murder and his momma will come to the rescue. Yes, it was time to lower the little man’s bed, but it has put more work on the momma.

Something new…..

I have started doing something new. Trey and I go to church every Sunday and attend Sunday school. Before we begin our lesson the teacher asks the class if anyone has prayer requests. Usually we have several and then we begin class. A few weeks ago it hit me that I don’t always remember these prayer requests and usually neglect to pray for the needs of others. I decided to get a notebook to take with me to church so I could write down the weekly prayer requests. I have done so the last two weeks and it has definitely helped me to remember these different needs. I also add things to my list that I hear on the news and that I hear during the week from other people. So often we neglect our prayer time until we desperately need God to answer one of our own prayers. I challenge you to also get a journal or notebook and write down your prayer requests and those of others. And let me know if I can add you to my list!

Bathroom Beauty Salon

My baby came into this world with a lot of hair. Over the past 6 months it has continued to grow and grow and grow. People have politely said, “When are you going to get his hair cut?” Or “His hair sure is long.” I got the hint and talked to Trey about cutting it. We decided that I would cut it myself. It’s not the easiest thing to cut a baby’s hair. They don’t exactly sit still. We called Delta into the bathroom to entertain Ford while he got his new hair do. Enjoy the slide show!

I have a recipe. It’s from the “Any Blonde Can Cook” cookbook. Someone brought this to the Grove once (Ole Miss football game) and it was delicious.

MEXICAN SQUARES

1 (4 ½ ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8 ½ ounce) box corn muffin mix
½ onion, finely chopped (I sauté my onion)
3 eggs beaten
1 ½ cups milk
½ cup oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes.

The hardest part is sautéing the onion. It’s so delicious. I serve mine with Fritos.
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On my last blog post I wrote about Ford going to the doctor for his 6 month check up. I completely forgot to add his stats/percentiles in there…

Weight 16.8 pounds 30th percentile
Length 26.5 inches 50th percentile
Head 75th percentile … He is full of brains

Bobba’s Birthday

Bobba is Trey’s grandmother and she had a birthday this week. On Wednesday night we went to eat at Olive Garden to celebrate. I warned Pops (Trey’s dad) that we had to go early because that is not Ford’s best time of day. He did alright. He needed to be held in the restaurant. And guess who got to hold him???? Yours truly! I asked Trey to let me cut up my food before I held him. While I was eating Ford grabbed a piece of chicken off of my plate and threw it on the floor. When we walked outside of the restaurant we found these friends next to our car. I asked Trey and Vance to pose next to the killer looking dogs. I had more sense than to get near them. That big one could eat someone like a biscuit.

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Since today is Friday I will theme today as “Flashback Friday” like my sister in-law does on www.sugarandspicemommy.blogspot.com As you all know Ford is now 6 months old and is a pure joy to our family. After I gave birth to him in May I felt sooooooo skinny. It must have been all the drugs they gave me. I asked the nurses when they came in if they would let me weigh myself. I just knew I was super small and most all of my baby weight had come off. They said that was not a good idea and I had not lost as much weight as I thought I had. Anyone who has had a baby knows what I am talking about. Once the child is out, your stomach feels so much different. Needless to say I did not weigh myself in the hospital and it’s a GOOD thing I didn’t. I looked like a puffer fish. I was not skinny. I had a long road ahead of me and apparently had on blinders and couldn’t tell I was still in the whale category. The weight has now come off thank goodness, but it sure hadn’t when we left the hospital!!!

This has been a beautiful week. No rain and lots of sunshine!!! I have been trying a new napping schedule on my nonsleeper and it’s tough to keep him awake and happy in the mornings. We went on a stroll early this morning and it was a bit chilly outside. Being the cautious mother that I am I bundled up the little man. This is Ford before we left on our walk!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS????

I need some cute Christmas traditions that you do with your children or that you did as a child growing up. I want to start some things this year and hopefully continue them for years to come. When Trey was growing up his parents always gave them a new pair of pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve night. I like that idea and believe we will do that at our house as well. One of my friends from Jackson said that each year she gives her children an ornament for the tree. She has 3 children and each one has a certain kind… a reindeer, snowman, and Santa. I like that idea as well and plan to start giving Ford his own ornament each year so that when he is an adult he can take all of his ornaments to his house. That is if I ever let him leave!!!! I need some more ideas. I love Christmas and would put my tree up today if someone would let me.

This is what Ford looks like by 5:00.

Trick-or-Treat

Halloween was a lot of fun. I had the cutest puppy dog on the block!!!! Trey never could understand why I wanted to dress Ford up. He kept telling me that Ford didn’t know what was going on and he couldn’t eat candy. He said this isn’t even about Ford it’s about you. It was about both of us. I wanted to dress my baby up for his first Halloween and I wanted people to Eeewwwwwww and Ahhhhh over his cuteness while he got to play dress up. We had a “win win” situation here! Since he has a 7:00 bedtime we didn’t get to do a lot of visiting. I ate all the candy he got and the cookies our dear friend, Meg, made us.



I am sure everyone enjoyed the time change. Nothing like getting that extra hour of sleep!!! Did you know that babies don’t know about time changes? They don’t care either. They are going to get up when they normally do. Lucky for Trey and me, Ford spent the night with Puddin and Pop!!!!! Sunday was a little tough trying to hold him off as long as possible to eat to get him on the new schedule. Hopefully by tomorrow we will be good to go.

This is what "bed head" looks like

I HATE peas, Momma

Trey and I had nursery duty on Sunday at church. We were assigned to keep the 2 and 3 year olds with another couple. Well, the other couple decided not to show up so the Lamars had to tackle the 5 kiddos alone. There were 4 little girls and one little boy. After being in the room about 2 minutes the little boy told me he needed to go to the bathroom. I put him in there and told him to tell me when he was finished. After a few minutes he starts yelling “I’m finished.” About that time Trey walks in and I told him he needed to go in there since it was a little boy. Several minutes later Trey comes out and said his work here was done and left me in there with all those ankle biters. Apparently the young tike had done more than tee tee and when Trey walked in there he had his rear in the air waiting for assistance with the wiping. I think Trey got more than he bargained for. Seriously though, he disappeared and I had to manage alone. I now know why I love older kids now. They can go potty alone!

Ford turned 6 months on Sunday. Ohhh how time flies. Today we had to go to the doctor to get his dreaded 6 months shots. My mother, Gran, went along for moral support. When it comes to shots I need all the help I can get. Ford seemed really excited about being in a new place. I was thinking… If you only knew what was about to happen, buddy. He was trying to help the doctor listen to his heart and look in his ears. He was flipping all over the table making the white paper crinkle. And then in comes the nurse with 4 needles. I am the biggest weenie you will ever meet when it comes to pain and I was scared for Ford. At first I didn’t think he was going to cry, oh but I was wrong. The first shot just took his breath away. Thank goodness for the emergency bottle I packed. He sucked it down and we popped the paci in his mouth and he was golden. This evening has been a little rough. We moved that 7:00 bedtime up to 6:30 tonight.

I have a great side dish for you. This is one of my mother in-laws recipes.

CORN AND GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

1 can shoepeg corn- drained
1 can French style green beans- drained
1 8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup

Mix together. In a skillet melt some butter. Crumble Ritz crackers into the skillet and heat for a minute. Sprinkle the Ritz on top of the mixture. Pour into a square (small) casserole dish. Cook at 350 until bubbly.

We have a friend. It’s a chipmunk and it drives my dog crazy. He has been living around our house for a while now. Delta has just now started to take an interest in the little friend. She sits at our back door all day (when inside) and waits on him to run by. Ford LOVES Delta, however, Delta does not return the same feelings to Ford. Since Ford can crawl now he decided to join Delta at the door to look for the Chipmunk.

My Ten Facts

Thank you, Heather (The Stockett Family), for nominating me to give all my blog readers ten facts about myself. This was actually kind of hard for me to do since I have started giving facts on “Take 5 Tuesday.” I came up with 10 new things that most people might not know about me. Enjoy!!!

TEN FACTS

1. I sleep with 4 pillows, a noise maker, and a stuffed animal. Yes, you read that right. I sleep with a purple dinosaur… it’s great. Oh and the closet doors must all be closed before I can go to sleep.
2. I have gone to the big house before. My junior year in high school a big group of us were rolling (toilet papering for you northerners) someone’s yard and the cops drove by. We all had to ride to the county jail caravan style and call our parents. No charges thank goodness!
3. I never watched my mom cooking growing up. When Trey and I first started dating we were going to cook at his house in Oxford. He left the kitchen and I was supposed to cook some green beans… ahhhh I can’t believe I am about to say this. I got a pot and put hot water in it to start boiling water for the beans. Then it hit me... DUH… you just dump the can in the pot. No water is needed. Trey doesn’t even know this happened. I guess he does now. I have come a long way with cooking.
4. This one is embarrassing too, BUT this could be life changing for someone. Women do a lot to improve their looks... I try to do what I can including dying my arm hairs!!!!! Speaking of... I need to do mine now. They make some great bleach that will make your hairs blonder and less visible. Trey thinks it stupid and I don’t need to do it, but it makes me feel better. See me if you need further details!
5. I really wish I had a talent. I have a hidden one that hasn’t come out yet. I can’t sing, dance, act, draw, read music, sew, decorate, etc. I can flip my tongue over and pick up things with my toes. Does that count??? Those are just plain weird!
6. I have always been attracted to guys with 4 letter names, brown hair, and that are under 6 feet tall. They say you are attracted to guys that look like your dad. My dad is a short brown headed fella. Trey hits the nail on the head... Trey = 4 letters… real first name is John. Brown hair... check. Under 6 feet… check! Ford is fitting that criteria right now as well.
7. I can’t imagine living anywhere other than Mississippi. However, I absolutely regret not living someone neat one summer during college.
8. I secretly wish I was an investigator. I like watching Cold Case Files and Forensic Files on TV. That kind of stuff is so interesting to me.
9. I don’t drink milk. I do love cheese and ice cream.
10. I was tested for allergies in the summer of 2006. They pricked my back 40 times with anything from dust mite, pollen, grasses, to roaches. I was ALLERGIC to 34 of the 40 things. I thought my life was OVER. I took allergy shots for a year and am much better.

Here are the rules:

1. Say thanks and give a link to the one who gave you the award.
2. Share 10 honest things about yourself.
3. Present this award to 3 other fantastically brilliant blogs of content or design, or peeps that have encouraged you.
4. Tell those 3 people they've been awarded and make sure they're informed of these guidelines.

I now would like to nominate 4 people. I know it says 3 in the guidelines but I feel like these 4 people would enjoy this activity. Katie, Ashley, Janice, and Jessica are the chosen ones participate in this fun exercise.