Lord Snappington II

We had severe weather in the area yesterday.  There were a lot of tornado warnings, and local schools were on lockdown.  This all started late in the afternoon while I was still at work, and Matthew was at daycare.  Storms make me nervous in general, so needless to say, I was a little freaked out.  Fortunately, it seems like we mainly got slammed by thunderstorms with tons of rain; wind wasn't really a factor.

The rain was definitely significant though, and our section of road is flooded.  Chewie suddenly started barking while looking outside at the driveway, which really isn't too shocking (she barks a lot.  A LOT.)  Ernie peeked outside though and realized she was barking at a snapping turtle that was making his way up our driveway.

This is the second snapping turtle we've seen at our house.  A few years back, there was one that I named Lord Snappington.  I took several pictures of him and hoped he'd be back, but that was our only sighting.  Obviously, this turtle had to be dubbed Lord Snappington II.  I had quickly raced upstairs to throw some clothes on so I could go outside and get some pictures, but Lord Snappington II was pretty darn fast and had already disappeared back into the water by the time I got outside.

Although not the greatest picture, Ernie did snap this one quickly through the window while I was upstairs getting dressed, so at least we have something to remember him by.

Mother's Day

I wasn't expecting anything on Mother's Day.  Ernie isn't one to make a big fuss of holidays, so I was just looking forward to another nice weekend day at home.  Ernie was kind enough to get up with Matthew in the morning and let me sleep in (which he actually usually does on the weekends, which is awesome).  When I did come downstairs, he immediately asked me if I'd like to go out for breakfast.  It was still some what early, so we figured we'd beat the Mother's Day crowd.

Ernie and I had excellent omelettes.  We ordered French Toast for Matthew, which he'd never had before.  We sampled it, and it was really good, but Matthew was happier nibbling on some of my wheat toast.  At home, I opened my cards: one from Matthew, one from Chewie.

I chose to make one of my favorite recipes for dinner: Mexican Stuffed Shells.  It's an easy recipe, but it takes a little time, so it's not an ideal recipe for a weeknight after work.  It's a perfect Sunday dinner.

It was a beautiful day, not too hot outside.  We spent time in the backyard playing with Matthew.  I blew bubbles that he had a blast chasing, and we also kicked around a ball.  Matthew loves being outside.  I am not an outdoors person, so I'm trying to adjust for his sake.

I spent the majority of my life planning on never having children.  I was perfectly content with not being a mother, and my husband also didn't want kids.  For some unknown reason, we both changed our minds in 2010.  We got engaged later that year, married in 2011, and Matthew was born in 2012.  I can't believe I spent so many years not wanting this.  Being a mom is hard, but it is so incredible.  I feel so lucky each and every day.

Your Hometown Idol

Last night was the teen preliminaries of the Your Hometown Idol competition.  There was a low turnout, but that meant I got to sneak out a little early.  As much as I enjoy being involved with this event, that was pretty nice, as my dad is staying with us.  He needed a Matthew fix and volunteered to baby-sit him for a couple days this week.  Matthew is having an awesome time with his grandpa!  My dad also generously treated us to pizza for dinner, which goes over very well in this house.

18 Months

Matthew had his 18 month checkup yesterday. He weighs 26 pounds, 3 ounces, and he is 34.25" tall.  His weight is in the 80th percentile, and his height is in the 97th percentile.  He's nice and healthy!  The doctor also assured me that it is perfectly normal for him to moonwalk.  I mean, he's not as smooth as Michael Jackson, but it's still pretty impressive.  I didn't know toddlers were capable of such an activity.

While waiting for the doctor to come in the room, I glanced at the assortment of books and magazines scattered along the wide windowsill.  There are several books that are made by area students.  One in particular really caught my eye:

My sister's name is Julie, and my family calls me Kate, so I of course thought this was awesome.  My sister still lives back home in the U.P., and I miss her so much.

After Matthew's appointment, we grabbed some lunch and headed to my work for a visit.  He hasn't been to the office since he's been walking, so he was due for an appearance.  He was a little shy and was also tired, as it was past his nap time, but he seemed to enjoy it.  I had a few little stuffed animals on my desk that he liked to play with.  I tried to give him one of my Aaron Rodgers action figures to play with, but he wanted nothing to do with it.  I hope that isn't a sign that he is going to eventually  rebel against our cheesehead ways.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squared Bars

Over the weekend, Ernie suddenly got a craving for chocolate chip cookie bars.  I thought of a recipe I'd recently seen on The Girl Who Ate Everything for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Squared Bars.  The only ingredient I didn't have was unsalted butter, so I just used salted instead.  My bars had to bake a few minutes longer, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.

The bars turned out really well!  They are not only the best bars I've ever made but maybe the best ones I've ever eaten.  The recipes from that site have yet to let me down.  She is awesome.  I'll definitely be making these again!

Matthew's First Library Card

On Saturday, Matthew and I went to the local library to get his first library card.  I also needed a library card.  I have lived here for over 9 years, and I'm embarrassed to say that I have never been to our library.  I loved going to the library as a kid.  Whenever there is a library millage on the ballot, I don't hesitate to vote yes.  Why I quit going as an adult, I really don't know.  

Our library is beautiful, and I can't believe all of the amazing stuff there!  I am so glad that Matthew has a library card.  I hope that he loves the library as much as I did as a kid, and I hope that my library love will be rekindled.

I am looking forward to going back!  

Your Hometown Idol

Last night was the first preliminary round of the local Your Hometown Idol competition.  I was asked to be a judge.  Kids performed last night, and the finalists will complete at a local festival in July.  It is so fun to be a part of this, and I loved watching the kids sing.  I detected a little bit of nerves in all of them, but any kid who will participate in something like this obviously has a confidence within them.  I was very moved by each performance and felt so much pride for these kids, even though I didn't know them.  I wanted to give them each a huge hug after their performances, but that would have been slightly (majorly?) creepy.

There will be two more preliminaries this month: one for teens and one for adults.  I look forward to them!