Ate Up Amateur

Super Bowl Food: Cheddar Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Continuing our series of Super Bowl Food posts - today - cheddar biscuits. They are very similar to the ones at Red Lobster, if you've had those and liked them. Here we go:

One of the times I have found the iPad oh so handy...recipes.

Once again, this recipe was found via Pinterest. The link took me here, where I loved her photos and followed her instructions. I'll let you click through for the recipe. Basic ingredients - bisquick, shredded cheese, milk, seasonings.

I had to add some more water to the mixture to actually get dough.

Perhaps it's just me.

Even though some of the cheese escaped!!!

OK, there's some dough.

The recipe says to grease. I did not grease.

I should have greased.

Stick them in the oven and then make the butter topping.

When they have cooked...

...brush on the good stuff.

You can see the need for grease in this photo too!

Stack them next to those goodies from yesterday's post.

There they are in the middle...the ones on the right come tomorrow.

See you soon.

Super Bowl Food: Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I made some appetizer-type food for New Year's Eve. I took some photos while I was making them, but never got around to posting. Since the Big Game is next weekend, I thought you guys might like some inspiration for making some of your very own Super Bowl Food. So, here is the first one.

Of course, like pretty much every good idea I have in my life these days, I found this one initially on Pinterest. But, that little pin took me here. In case you want to check out the real deal. OK, on to my version:

Let's watch while S demonstrates, shall we?

Ingredients list is easy as pie - crescent roll dough, mozzarella string cheese, pepperoni, garlic powder. Take each crescent roll, top it with some pepperoni and half of a string cheese, and roll that baby up. (You can see our pepperoni was gigantic, so one piece was all we needed.

Repeat a gazillion times.

Place on a cookie sheet.

You might want to grease that cookie sheet - even if you're cheating for clean-up and wrapping it in foil. They stuck a little bit. Not horribly, but you know, save yourself the trouble and spray it or put some butter or something down.

And it's always best to have the baby oatmeal within arm's reach.

Of course.

Sprinkle the little balls of love with some of this.

Pop them in a 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Serve hot with a side of marinara.

Yum.

They were good, sister. Yes, definitely better hot out of the oven then after sitting a bit. But what isn't, huh? So, there you go - go try it yourself!

Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

1 package of 8 crescent rolls

4 sticks of string cheese

Eight large or 24 small pieces of pepperoni

2 T garlic powder

Preheat oven. Roll the pepperoni and half of a stick of string cheese into each crescent roll. Place on nonstick or greased cookie sheet. Top with garlic powder. Cook until brown, 12-15 minutes. Serve hot with marinara.

Tomorrow - those bundles of taste on the right.

See you soon.

Happy Birthday Dex!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Last weekend we were invited to Dexter's birthday party. Dexter's Mommy and I went to graduate school together, and it was nice of them to invite us to the party. They invited us last year too, but this year LM was much more into it, of course. Here are some photos:

This is Dex.

Like last year, he had his party at a great gymnastics center that allowed the kids to run and play on all sorts of things. In that photo, Dex is showing off the rings.

This is Rachel, Dex's sister.

And, just a bit older than LM.

And this is LM, having fun.

I was convinced those balloons would pop.

I don't think they ever did!

I wish this wasn't blurry!

Less blur, still cute.

This bin was full of all sorts of balls.

LM and Rachel emptied it.

This dad did a great sword fight.

And he fell on the ground to his death in a way that deserved an Oscar.

The cake.

A fun time was had by all. Thanks again for the invitation!

We have a few things going this weekend, but not crazy busy, which is good. I still have class stuff to do, and you know, general "life" stuff too. I hope your weekend is a good one.

See you soon.

Cloud Dough

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

So, there are endless opportunities on Pinterest. But, at least for me what happens is I pin a bunch of stuff and then hardly ever get around to DOING them. An exception to this would be our little experiment with cloud dough. I found it on Pinterest - there are a million links - I followed one of those worm holes to learn about cloud dough.

It's a mixture of flour and baby oil. It is a little like sand, but also sort of clumpy and sticky. I made 1/8th of the recipe, because we were just trying it out and I didn't figure we needed eight cups worth of it. I put it in a disposable casserole dish and we took it to the front yard to have fun.

For a brief period of time, the boy actually played with the cars I put in the cloud dough, as I sort of imagined he would. Then he decided it was more fun to pick up the dough and throw it out of the pan.

And it was at that point that I was really glad I decided to do this in the front yard. No mess to clean up! It just got dispersed in the grass!

A bit blurry, but I was trying to get the clenched fist full of cloud dough!

Turns out - no surprise really - sifting through the dough and throwing it is more fun than cars.

Which we repeated until it was all pretty much out of the pan.

Where we played with it in the grass!

And put the pan on our head!

Turns out, cloud dough can REALLY cake on a pair of jeans.

It was a fun activity.

So fun, we had to go tell Dad.

Then we went to get cleaned up.

So, cloud dough, I would say, was a hit as a Saturday craft activity. It had a sensory element to it, and it was also fun for some benign destruction, shall we say. We'll make it again sometime.

See you soon.

Hideaway

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

If we're outside around the house, LM's favorite place to roam is over between the fence and the garage. You can see the fine paint job is holding up nicely on the ol' garage, huh?

OMG, he is Mini-S.

"No I'm not Mommy, I'm LM!"

"Silly Mommy!"

"Pay no attention to the dirt on my hands"

"Cause I'm gonna find some more!"

See you soon.

Lunch with Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

LM and I went to meet a friend of mine and former co-worker, Kerry, and her granddaughter Abbie for lunch the other day. Abbie is two, so she is an older woman. We met at the kid friendly Chick-fil-a, where LM, upon seeing Abbie sit in a regular chair, refused to sit in a highchair. In fact, he has refused since then a couple of times too. Good times.

Anyway, the kiddos played in the little play area afterwards. Not only was Abbie very nice to LM, there was a brother sister pair, I'm guess about 8 and 6 years old, who would shepherd LM to the top and on the way back down. They were so sweet to him I had to go over to their mom afterwards and tell her what good kids she has. Here are a couple of photos...mostly a bit blurry, done with the purse camera, and on a too low ISO until I noticed way too late:

Abbie in all her cuteness!

Coming down the slide, brother on the right, sister behind him.

Going up, up up!

You can see the slide was, well, a favorite.

It was so nice to catch up, and because we had such good older helpers, we DID actually get to talk for a while! And the kids had fun too. Good fun all around.

See you soon!

An Open Letter to the TSA and Airline Safety Employees Everywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Dear Sir or Madam:

I recently received a renewed passport in the mail. I renewed said passport because my job will require me to fly across the Atlantic for work in the near future. Because it is a LOT of moving around for a two week period of time, my husband, S, has graciously agreed to go with me. Because my son doesn't fare well on a two hour flight to Indiana, let alone a transatlantic jaunt, because of the aforementioned pace of travel, and because he wouldn't remember it even if we went to the effort to take him, he will stay in the US. He will be thoughtfully and carefully watched by my mother, who has graciously agreed to come to our home to keep him on his regular routine, and by, I am sure, his Dallas relatives, from time to time, in our absence.

So, here's the deal. This will be the first time I am away from my boy for this period of time. As a mother, this will be really hard. It will be the first time the two of us will be away from him for more than an evening. And, we'll be going across the Atlantic. Now, I realize you all screen passengers and prepare aircraft each and every day to make these flights. And, that they come and go without incident day in, day out. But, sir or madam, I know how things can become routine. How we can get into a rut. How small things can pass us by. I know - it happens to me. However, when it happens to me, someone might be inconvenienced but no one will die. I need to know you will be CERTAIN to be extra vigilant for me.

You see, kind soul, if something were to go wrong on MY flights, my boy would grow up without either of his parents. If something were to go wrong, a boy's life would be irreversibly made incomplete. I really, really need to know you're carefully watching out for the bad guys. And checking the airplane. And making certain - each and EVERY day - that all is well with the airline world. I need to know this.

I do understand the irrationality of my fear. I do understand there is probably greater chance of my winning the lottery than you not doing your job. And, I'm sure each and every day there is some other boy's parents flying the world without him, and they need to make it home too. Of course, I hope we are ALL safe.

But this is MY boy. And I am HIS mother. And I need to KNOW it's going to be alright.

I know it will be alright.

I know it will be alright.

I know it will be alright.

Because you are professionals and you won't let me down. And for that, for things I don't know and can't fathom and won't ever understand, I am very grateful. Thank you a thousand times over. Thank you. Thank you. And pay no attention to the neurotic woman thinking of her son.

Thank you.

Warmest regards,

A W

See you soon.

First Fort

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Last weekend we also built what was, to our knowledge, LM's first fort. We all - yes, all three of us - had a blast with it. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning:

Pay no attention to the crap on the dining room table.
Or the Amazon box on the console..or the...
...OK, nevermind.

You may be wondering, "Forget the mess...what the heck are those things making up the sides of the fort?" Well, my friend, those are two folding cots I bought on Woot recently. They reminded me of a cot we used to sleep on at my grandparent's house, so I bought two. So we can keep our guests in the lap of luxury. (Actually, you think I jest, but that cot of my grandparents was comfy!) And we can also make a fort in the living room!

A Stalactite

The top of our fort was an old blanket we used to use on our bed when we were first married (and it wasn't so old.) It has been relegated to outdoor concerts and picnics, which isn't a bad fate for an old blanket - and being the top of the fort isn't either! S pointed out our fort had stalactites...

We gathered some pillows from around the house.

For lounging in the fort. LM caught on to that right away.

And, yes, those are Christmas pajamas. He needed new pajamas just about the time the Christmas pjs were hitting the market last fall. So he has quite a few. So he'll be celebrating Christmas each night, all night, until he needs some new ones. Which might be soon...ahem. Hello baby belly!

We read books in the Fort.

Or, LM read books while S counted rock formations.

We drove trucks in the Fort!

The boys, they wrastled in the Fort.

Wrastled - that's not a misspelling.

It's a technical term.

LM found the Fort's windows...

It was discovered the Fort's walls made an excellent drumming surface!

What doesn't, actually?

Our Fort also has a covered porch,

from which you can peer underneath at Daddy inside.

We also listened to some Pandora while LM dialed up his friends.

In the Fort.

Echo was not a fan.

We had a blast. It was so fun! It is so fun to be a kid again with my kid. What are you up to this weekend? We have nothing much planned - I'll be grading homework for my students and getting ready for another round of class presentations. And hopefully finding some downtime with my boys. I hope your weekend is a good one.

See you soon.

Ducks

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Yesterday Bulldogs, today Ducks. The weather last weekend was amazing. Sunny and beautiful, and warm enough to be out in it in January. So, we headed over to the lake for a quick duck feeding session.

First, after last fall's duck outings, it should be noted S scouted out duck feeding locations until he found what he feels is the ultimate spot. There are waterfowl everywhere - fowl in general, actually - and it's more "hands on" and "interactive" on the bridge than it is from the shore for an itty bitty. LM loves it - he and Dad have been to this spot MANY times without me. It's sort of their place, and they let me tag along. So I took the camera:

So here it is -

here is the bridge,

with lots of traffic on that beautiful day.

Near this place.

PLENTY of ducks.

Multiple feeding techniques.

The throw and retrieve.

Throw again, new angle.

Oh, and then there was this, which scared Mommy to death...

...do you SEE where his feet are?

OMG. I had to stop taking photos and look the other way.

Do they look concerned? Um. No.

They left all the fretting to dear old Ma.

Back to the serious work.

Photographer's arm makes an appearance.

See it?

There were slight breaks for watching the passers-by.

Of course.

Oh, and a great deal of the "duck food" goes in LM's stomach.

(Thank you Daddy for keeping his legs on this side of the water.)

A GREAT deal of the duck food...never sees the ducks.

It's OK - these are apparently well fed ducks!

And this is apparently a malnourished boy. Ahem.

Eventually, the boy and the ducks ate right on through that bread.

Here I am with the boy,

clearly in my "going to the lake" attire.

It was a quick trip. Geez.

There was something VERY interesting just under S's right elbow.

Hee hee.

OK, so there you have it. Duck feeding 101. Boy feeding 101. Lake dressing 101. Fine winter weather 101. We have it all for you here at Ate Up Amateur. Don't you forget it, sister.

See you soon.

Bulldog

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I like this photo for so many reasons. First, because it's of my boy, the one I love so much. Second, because he is demonstrating to you here how to wear a Daddy Hat. He loves wearing Dad's hats, and without fail, puts them on this way. Third, the light is good, it's the only shot I took at the time - just picked up the camera and shot one off and then moved on to something else. Fourth, LM and the bulldog have almost the same expression. Love it. This is his "busy" expression - tearing through the house, room to room to room, leaving mayhem in his wake, playing, learning, dancing, talking, singing the whole way. And running. And living. And making a memory for me and for him.

By the way, I love the shirt he has on - it's one of several he has and will own from Dixie Belle Gifts. Several of his friends and relative babies/children own some too. They are totally cute and really great quality. I love them, so I figured I'd let you know where to get one of your own.

Lord only knows what's on that disc he's standing on. Or where it is now.

See you soon.

Little Lauren

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

You might remember I had the opportunity to photograph the Henry family around Thanksgiving. Well, baby Lauren made her appearance just before Christmas, so recently I was able to try some newborn photos! I should tell you when I arrived at the Henry's, I found out they have one of those November photos hanging, in canvas, on their dining room wall! I have to tell you it felt very flattering for this amateur, that someone would like a photo I took so well to hang a giant one on their dining room wall.

Lauren cooperated amazingly well. I felt pretty good about the shoot - I remembered many of my tricks, remembered to look at the camera settings, checked some of the shots throughout on the screen. I didn't remember everything though, and wish I would have realized quite how dark the second location was while we were there. I knew it wasn't optimal, but I thought it was enough. Had I checked white balance or had a light meter I knew how to use properly, I would have known, I suppose. But, it was so nice to have the opportunity to try a newborn again, and to learn things as I went along once more:

This one has an "antique" color hue applied to it.

I thought it went with the pink crocheted hat.

Isn't she a beautiful girl?

Perhaps my favorite.

I love this one too.

And this one. Slight variation. Hee hee.

Grandma, visiting and helping out, had the idea to use the bear.

OK - then we moved upstairs - with the best of intentions - to take photos of the two girls together, using Jennifer and Kyle's bed. The thing is, the room just didn't have as much light at that time of the day. So, I am disappointed in the photos of the two girls together, not that they aren't cute, but in that I hoped for more. Here are the "best of's":

An attempt at their feet.

Cute, but not what I hoped for.

And, when I say "hoped for" I realize I could see the photo in the viewfinder - I mean, I was trying for a better angle - something - but I didn't figure it out. I'm going to have to study some I like and think on it. Nonetheless, there they are, four cute feet!

This one...

...and this one are the two best of the two together.

OK - and you know I'm going to point it all out to you - this is a learning experience, people. You can see I had to lighten them, and they are grainy because the camera was compensating too. I could have used a lens that let in more light, but then, because I have the 3/4 camera, I couldn't get far enough away. A better Photoshop-er could probably fix some more of the light issue too. But, as I said with the feet up above, nonetheless, there are two sweet, adorable sisters.

Daddy's hands, Lauren's feet.

I again had something in my mind I wanted to capture that I couldn't quite emulate to Daddy and Lauren. They were very good subjects, doing exactly what I requested. And, Lauren was VERY wide awake by now, and moving around a lot...there are like seventy of these photos - OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. This one I like - in black and white. Sweet little feet.

Miss Evelyn was having a bit of a problem not being the center of attention.

Hee hee. Poor girl - welcome to sibling-hood.

I promise, though, the trade-off is worth it.

Grandma requested a profile shot.

It's the least she should get for all the help Grandmas are.

I quite like this one.

And Jennifer was holding her for the profile, which led to this one.

Which I totally love.

And Mama's pants made a perfect backdrop for this one of her feet.

Another one of Big Sis!

Next we tried some "hanging on dad's arm" shots.

Lauren was NOT a fan. (I like this photo, for posterity, as well.)

But she let us get a couple decent ones.

This is my favorite.

And in black and white.

I REALLY appreciate the Henrys letting me take these photos. They actually received some FABULOUS photos from, of all things, the hospital photographer, so they didn't NEED me traipsing into their newborn world, but let me do it anyway.

If I'm ever going to improve, I need practice. And, some classes too, actually. Once the class I teach (on an entirely different subject) is over, I plan to start taking some photography classes to learn more about the things I don't know - about the technical aspects, about lighting, studio shooting, and also about post processing. But, practice is key - I learn so much each time I try this. I mean, seriously, part of it for me is to just not be NERVOUS. That gets in the way of my creativity - I have to feel comfortable and at ease so I can do my best, never mind anything else. Anyhoo, thanks again Henrys. I hope there are a couple you might enjoy having for posterity.

See you soon.

Family Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:32:00 +0000

I bought a Groupon last August for some family photos by this guy. We ended up taking photos the weekend before Thanksgiving. We got the photo disk a week or so ago. They turned out pretty good - here are some of them. The first few are the ones he edited. The others are the "rest of the bunch.

And...that new blog header up there.

The rest are not as edited - some were cropped up by me a bit, but that's about it:

I think this one is funny, only because of LM's face.

Like, "What the heck are they doing???"

Like this one too.

Funny but cute face on the Little Man

That's about it. I'm glad we went to take them. It was a fun experience with some good results. Best wishes to you for a hopefully long weekend coming up. S and I both have Monday off, so it's a long one for us. We were talking about going out of town, but scratched that and instead are going to a playgroup meeting and maybe the aquarium. I have quite a bit to work on for my class, so I hope for some downtime, but also some uninterrupted work time, too. Whatever you have planned, I hope it's great.

See you soon.

We Interrupt this Blogging...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

So, last night I began my third year teaching a class at my alma mater. I actually enjoy the class very much, and have learned a lot about how to present it and how to teach college level students while doing it. I think this will be the best year yet. However, for the next eight weeks (because they are on the module system) I will be a little bit busier than "normal" busy. Thus, there could be days when I don't get to blog.

Like today.

Because my brain is too full of class stuff. Because I got home late last night. Because the class is on Tuesdays, meaning I will miss the only show on television worth watching. Because I usually have six to eight students but this year I have fourteen. FOURTEEN!!! Because sometimes I don't "get" to do what I want to do. Because S is most likely coming down with the flu. Boo. Because the boy wants to tell me something and that's way more important than writing this up. And just because. Because I wanted you to know.

But I will blog. I have too much to say, people, and lots to get to. So, when I can, and hopefully sort of regular-like, I'll write up some drivel for you. And I appreciate you reading it.

See you soon.

The LA Friend Photo Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We've photographed this great bunch before...and this time, we had stellar results compared to that last go around. Perhaps I do learn something from time to time. Or perhaps we got lucky. Or perhaps they were (they WERE) fabulous subjects. And, the last time, even though I wasn't up for fessing up to this, I was barely pregnant with the LM and hardly fit to leave the house. So, you know...anyway.

This family of three is just about, as you will see, to become a family of FOUR, with a new baby due mid-next-month. They were in town visiting the relatives, so we took a jaunt over to the Arboretum on one beautiful winter afternoon. In fact, it was hard to believe you would call this winter. Here are my favorites:

We tried the "sun kissed" look, because well, we could.

Miss Caitlin, the soon to be Big Sister.

To the sun kissed look, Mark had the following to say - and I have to quote it because sister, it made me laugh out loud. For days. He said,

"I can see the artistic merit of your "sun haze" pictures, especially if we were all skinny sexy Calvin Klein models selling the newest lowrise jeans or $75 perfume. Cool look."

Oh Mark, you are a funny one. They look pretty good in the haze, if you ask me. But, here are some non-hazed other ones:

One of my favorites.

I like this "Daddy and Daughter" shot too.

I like this one in black and white.

The reason I like the B &W version of that one is 1) it's a fabulously cute smile from Miss C, but 2) that "column" to the left is Mark's leg. In the color version, his jeans are distracting. In this version it almost appears as an architectural feature. Or at least it doesn't distract.

Cute, cute!

And here are her shoes!

You'll see we did some "posed" ones later.

But I love this one, too, of the two of them.

We walked this poor pregnant woman all over creation, I'll have you know.

I also like this one in black and white.

Then we tried some along the fence...

...and one all dolled up here.

Lovely couple version uno...

...and numero dos.

And one more of this cutie pie for good measure.

She'll make an excellent big sister, no?

Oh, that was so much fun to romp around the gardens with them for a while. We followed it with some yummy pizza and visiting along with S, LM and our good friend JG! Thanks guys, for letting me take your photos. It was fabulous!

See you soon.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

To finish off the later than ever holiday posts, today is a recap of New Year's. Imagine, then we'll be all caught up in that regard for a while. We celebrated New Year's Eve with the Dallas cousins. It was a high falutin' affair, with the start of the New Year rung in at 8pm with a little prosecco for the grown ups and sparkling apple juice for the toddler set. The kids had a blast playing in the giant leaf pile and generally running around.

They all wore their "name" shirts.

They are great quality and can be found here.

Of course we had to pose them more than once.

Then they played and played and played.

And Uncle Michael got the real workout,

as the other two daddies went to run an errand.

When S showed back up, there was more fun to be had!

The party continued indoors (and Sophia cheered up momentarily).

Then it was time...8pm (midnight!).

Cheers all around!

Photographing and cheering all at once.

Then Uncle Mark really boozed it up. Ha.

And if you believe that then maybe you believe Sophia did too.

Look - they have the EXACT SAME drunken expression.

Hee hee.

It was a fun way to ring in the New Year with toddlers. I made some new recipes that I took over there...I hope to chronicle that at some point too...perhaps you can use them for Super Bowl or something. More on that later.

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope 2012 is the very best.

See you soon.

On Christmas Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:08:00 +0000

Before 2012 comes to a close - ahem - here are some photos from Christmas day. We opened some presents with the LM at my Mom's Christmas morning and had some breakfast. Then LM laid down for one of his colossal naps he only takes in Indiana, so we didn't make it over to my brother's house until 2:30ish. Then we gathered once more at my mom's for the traditional birthday dinner for S.

Nana had arranged some of his animals for him to see.

LM had to help EVERYONE open their presents.

This is actually one of HIS gifts, though, an apron for helping Daddy cook.

Opening Mommy's present

He really likes this book...it makes noise.

He also got some books that Nana recorded for him. He loves those too.

He received a recordable book from my dad and Torchy last year, and he loves listening to it. This year, he received a couple from Nana and also one from Aunt Terri, Uncle Steve, et al. He loves them very much - we listen to them over and over and over. And I love them too because I can listen to the voices I love!

Look Ma, wrapping paper!

Eating dough, I am sure.

Over to Steve's

LM also received this thoughtful gift - a photo book of Steve's family. Love it.

LM lugged this in from the family room. And sat on it.

Birthday dinner

No help for the Old Man...he got them out anyway.

Cora helped open birthday cards!

I ate it. I did.

And had some for breakfast too, the next day.

As did S.

And that's a wrap! Christmas has left the building.

See you soon.

Perfect Music

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Everyone has their opinion on what the world's most perfect music would be. I am here to tell you that Bach is, unequivocally, the world's most perfect music, in my humble opinion. And I think there is a lot of wonderful music out there. But, there is something perfectly mathematical and cerebral about his music that causes an unexplainable sense of calm to sweep over me while I listen to it. It makes sense on a primal level - no talking needed...no typing of words needed. It just works. It's perfect. I love it.

Don't take my word for it - you can listen to some on Bach's Wikipedia page here. Or download some for the long haul. Then you'll totally agree, I am certain.

That is all. Thank you.

See you soon.

Family Time

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:05:00 +0000

Today's post encapsulates several different family gatherings while we were in Indiana. They were all special, but it seems I didn't take very many photos at any one of them, so a combined post it is! Here we go:

First, we spent some time hangin' at Grandpa's house.

That's LM checking out Grandpa's new room, sporting a bag from the toy chest. He loves carrying around bags and buckets these days, and of course, he cares not what color they are!

Silly boy. He thought Mama would let him climb that ladder.

We had a little food while we were there.

He loved sitting at the bar to eat.

He didn't eat much, though.

LM thought the baby doll stroller was for him.

And, this reminded me of another little boy in the family, who did the exact same thing a few years ago. Actually, they all have probably tried it. But, when I was going through the old photos and found the train photo of Veda and Deacon, I found this one too:

That's Nathon in the same baby stroller! Hee hee.

Then there was the business of the shoes.

We took LM to the shoe store shortly after we returned from Indy to have his shoe size checked. It turns out he had gone up an entire size from the previous shoes! But, in Indy, we were still jamming his little feet into too small shoes - and these particular shoes had always been difficult because they are canvas and the backs will slide down on you. Anyway, one shoe came off and Grandpa set out to put it back on. Ahem.

He was determined to do it. He even got out the shoe horn.

Of course, Grandpa eventually won. The shoe was ON.

Grandpa and LM also did some playin' in the toys.

Then there was a get together at Mom's with Unk, Bevi, Lori and Isaiah and Steve's family.

Hanging out.

The meal - PIZZA - I'm sensing a theme here.

The big kids and little kids had a fun time playing together.

Then there was also a family game of Headbandz...

...where we learned all that we didn't know about Disney movies.

And LM showed off his iPad. Ha.

It's so nice to have time with family.

Well, it's only halfway through 2012 and we're almost done with the Christmas photos! Imagine!

See you soon.

The Little Drummer Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:21:00 +0000

The boy, as previously reported, loves him some drums. So, he hit the drum jackpot when we stopped by my uncle's house when we were in Indy. His grandson, Isaiah, plays the drums. In fact, he was at Unk and Bevi's house, just about to head out to a drum lesson when we stopped by. Isaiah played a few seconds on the drums for LM before he left. OHMYGOSH, he was in heaven, and had to try out those drums for himself when Isaiah got up. Here are some photos:

He found the bucket of sticks behind the throne immediately.

He picked up one wooden and one "light up" stick.

We tried to tear him away.

He had a fit, so Bevi, who is a softie for little boys, took him back.

I have to say, Unk and Bevi's wall colors really make for lovely photo backdrops.

And, a few little videos should you be so inclined:

I see lots of "are you done" moments in my future.

See you soon.

Look What I Found!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:06:00 +0000

Re: the post below - a photo from 2004 when we took Veda and Deacon to ride the train:

Awesome!

I can't believe I found it - many computers ago, and before digital, but there it is. I must have scanned it in for something at some point. I love it! And, what's more, LM TOTALLY makes that face ol' Deacon is wearing, as does Gibson. Sweet.

Train trip numero dos.

OK, that is all. I have to get on to work. Back to the daily routine today...glad to have a daily routine, but the first day back is always a little rough. Creak, creak creak.

See you soon.

The Train! The Train!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

When I was a little girl (and when my mom was a little girl before that...) people in Indianapolis would go downtown to the LS Ayres department store, where the children would ride a train to see Santa. LS Ayres was bought by someone, and then by someone else, and is no longer around. But, the train set was given (bought?) to the Indiana State Museum. And, was replaced by a similar but slightly larger train in 2006. When Veda and Deacon were small, we took them to ride the train. Now that I have LM, we all set out to do it again.

They have the original train set up in the lobby where you can take photos near it.

There is no way an adult would have fit on the old train.

Up the elevator!

A view of the 2nd floor from the 3rd floor.

On the way to the train - of course, a corn exhibit.

Gibby says, "I don't see a future in corn."

Ah, the big kids are too cute as well.

Deacon loves him some corn, though. Something FIERCE!

Waiting our turn for the train.

The Santa line and the train line are two different lines at the museum. I don't remember this being the case as a kid, but who knows. We did not visit the Santa line. All the kids had already seen Santa, the Santa they had didn't look all that good of a Santa elf and you had to pay to get a photo - none of your own photos allowed! Boo. So, we just did the train, which was way more fun anyway.

Ohmygoodnessheisadorable.

That over there..that is Santa's house.

The Santa police might come arrest me for taking this photo...

The train rounded the bend...it was almost time.

OK, so everyone got loaded up in the cars.

You can see, even with the larger train that adults were "oversized."

1 - S volunteered to ride. 2 - he isn't wearing a reindeer hat.

Darn that Gibby - I couldn't catch him.
Maybe Nana caught him with her camera.

After everyone was loaded up, they went over the rules. One of the rules was to keep your hands inside the train, and to NOT touch any scenery. Ahem. Well, apparently one young lad at back of the train BROKE THAT RULE. So, the conductor stopped the train without further ado and KICKED HIM OFF. Follow the rules at the Christmas train, people, or OFF with your head.

Halfway through the train stopped on the back side.

When the train stopped, Santa's friend, Raggedy Ann, gave all the kids a snowflake. I know, strange. Just go with it.

I had trouble getting a good shot, obviously.

I should have turned on the flash.

Some came out okay.

After the train we took some photos at the sleigh.

Then we walked around some of the other levels.

Miss Cora

LM was intent on coloring.

We wrote Santa letters via this email portal that went straight to the North Pole.

Deacon, Terri and Gibson went down a level first.

Deacon was hamming this point up in the photo.

Here, Cora and Nana were looking over the rail at them.

This was sort of cool, and appropriate for a state museum, I suppose.

There is also a replica diorama of the downtown Ayres store at Christmas

This angel and clock can still be found downtown...

Toward the end, a group shot.

We had fun, really. No, REALLY, we had fun!
And, that Santa hat behind Deacon is Veda, hiding, I guess.

LM was nearing the end of his rope.

And on the way out...a shot of Nana with the kiddos...

...and the train she and I (and Veda and Deacon, actually) rode on as kids.
Cora was at the end of her rope...

When I was back at my mom's house, I looked in the photo albums for a picture of me at the trains, because in my memory, they exist. I could not find them. I wonder if it is 8mm film...not sure, but they were not found, or of course, I would put them in this post!

I have to say, the nut that I am, taking my son to ride these trains was a real highlight for me. It was very cool to be able to do that with him. Maybe we'll do it again a few years from now.

See you soon.

New Year's Reflections

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Does this photo say New Year's Reflection to you?

It does to me. ;-)

I found this list on a blog I don't read but stumbled upon - (in)courage. I thought it was a decent, although sometimes redundant list, so I would use it for some New Year reflection.

20 Questions for a New Year’s Eve Reflection

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?

Wow, this was easy for 2010. For 2011 - what would it be? I'm not sure. I guess I would have to answer just getting to watch my son grow, turn one, and continue to learn and change. It's still the best thing, I guess!

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?

Getting used, still, to being a working mother. It is a challenge that has changed over the last twelve months, but it is still a challenge. And, I'm pretty sure that part isn't going to change. I love my job on most days. I'm a pretty lucky girl in that regard. But, my job has changed a lot in the past year, most notably in September and since, when my boss retired. LM's needs have changed as he left babydom and entered toddlerdom. I no longer interrupt my day three times to pump breast milk, which makes the work day easier. I no longer have to pack said breast milk in and out of the freezer and into and out of bottles for him to go to school. This part is all very much easier. But, I need to feel as if I'm doing justice to this thing called mothering and that is a very real, living, breathing challenge that never changes and is constantly changing all at the same time.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?

I think for this one, I will have to say the new work I have been doing since my boss retired. I am just filling in until they figure out what they are going to do with lots of stuff at work, but for now, the new work has been interesting and fulfilling.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?

The uncertainty of the economy is still an obstacle. It is worse for many than it is for me, but because of the economy, our jobs and companies are constantly in flux and under duress. This uncertainty leads to, well, more uncertainty. We have been talking about moving. Should we move? If we move, should we consider job locations? What does the future hold? Isn't that the million dollar question!

5. Pick three words to describe 2011.

Boy-centered. Hot. Transition.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2011 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).

Mommy. Busy. Uncertain.

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2011 (again, without asking).

LM. Stress. Opportunity.

8. What were the best books you read this year?

I have to say my book reading has been limited in the past year, or at least for the first half of it. But, I did read a few. I'm not sure I would put any of them on a "best" list except The Help, which come to think of it I may have read before this year. But I digress. Oh, and I did read, this year for sure, Bossypants, and I loved it. Anyone of my generation would love it too. I'm not sure how well it would translate to another generation though. Other books I read included God Is in the Manger for advent, and some baby books like What's Going On in There? and Bright from the Start as well as DiaperFree Before Three.

Then, of course, there were also, read several times, things like Clap Your Hands; The Yankee Doodle Songbook; The Little Blue Truck; Bunny Big and Small; Llama Llama Red Pajama; Goodnight Moon; and many, many more that somehow are escaping my brain right at the moment.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?

With my family - my husband, my son, my parents and in-laws.

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?

I do think I'm doing better - getting more used to - this Mommy thing. While I'm writing this list, I see how encompassing it is - it is molding many of my answers. But, I used to stress over the balance daily more than I do now. Now it's more like weekly. Ahem.

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?

I am in some ways less emotional. I feel as if I can "suck it up" better now that I'm a Mom and have to tend to the boy. Of course, though, when it comes to the boy, I am a raving ball of emotion. Oy.

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?

Probably not at all except that I think about it and how I'm not growing spiritually.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?

Out. OUT. I am FAT. F-A-T!!! I have seriously got to find a way to change that situation. But, did you see this article in the NY Times? Depressing.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?

S and I have grown together into parenthood. I don't think we have spent enough time on couple-hood though. We need to make sure to not forget to grow in that way too. I have not grown too much with my friends, I would say. This is mainly because the boy and the job suck up much of my time. I've been thinking I need to be more deliberate about contacting friends. I've even thought it would be fun to organize a girl's weekend getaway. Perhaps that's a thing for 2012.

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work (both professionally and at home)?

Professionally, the most enjoyable thing is being around live, wonderful, quality music almost every day. One day I will miss that the most, I know. Also, being able to take on some new tasks has been enjoyable. And, my co-workers really are a special group of people. At home, getting to watch my boy grow and change and thrive is the most enjoyable thing ever. And getting to share that with my S is pretty special too.

16. What was the most challenging part of your work (both professionally and at home)?

Well, since I touched on this above, the answer is the same - the uncertainty and change and balancing motherhood. One thing is for certain - things will continue to change and I will never know the future. So, I tell myself, suck it up, sister.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?

I'm not sure I wasted much time this year - I really stayed on top of it to get it all done. I sort of wish I had some time to waste...I guess you could say I "waste" time writing on this blog. But, I enjoy it and it's my own personal therapy, so its not a waste. But, when I do have free time, I do write here, and since September, with regularity.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?

This sounds so cliche, but it isn't - any moment I spend with my family is the BEST way I can use my time. This is how I feel when I am with them and it is the thing I enjoy most.

19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?

That whatever it is I'm doing - however it is I decide to spend my time - is the best I can do. There is always another way or another road or another answer. But I cannot spend valuable life second guessing the decisions I've made. I must forge ahead and continue to trust myself.

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2011 for you.

Bird by Bird. And Enjoying It, Mostly.

Happy New Year! See you soon.

And Then...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

A holiday program at Veda's school.
She is in black all the way to the left.

The next day in Indy we did some last minute Christmas shopping and took in a holiday program at Veda's school. Then...we got together with my Dad's side for Christmas. Here are some photos that tell the tale:

The fifth grade performed. The rest of the school watched.

The babies watched too.

They did! They did!

The fifth grader did a great job.

And Grandpa got to nuzzle on LM a bit.

Then it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas.

LM pushed the button on that little snowman face maybe a hundred and twenty times. Or so. Torchy made the comment they didn't figure I'd ever have a child to push that button. Well, me either. But, look there he is!

And this year we had extra room!

My dad has been working on this little project to bring the previous "Florida room" (a room that isn't heated or cooled) into the rest of the house. It's pretty near finished, except drywall. It was nice to have the extra room to spread out. Dad has done a really nice job on the room.

Awww, love the Daddy.

He's awesome. And SOOOO fourteen.
And, seriously, a really neat kid.

89, 90, 91, 92...

Shhh...don't tell...that's LM in a Colts hat.

He likes to root for the underdog. Hee hee.

228, 229, 230, 231...

Father and Son reading glasses. How sweet.

Love you Bobby!

Then present mayhem began. Oh my.

One thing is for sure about LM and this Christmas...

...he loved unwrapping presents - ANYONE'S present!

This was Grandpa's...

Girls - scarves made by Aunt Sherri

Boys - hats by Aunt Sherri!

LM's gift from Grandma and Grandpa.

I finally resorted to flash...and the present hits kept on coming!

Our family photo for the Christmas archives...

We had a great time. The food was wonderful and so was the company. I love hanging out with my nieces and nephews and joking around with my brothers. Rick was working and couldn't make it, and I missed seeing him, but was so glad to hear about his new job. I hope it's going well for him.

I think of these loved ones often, walk by their photos on my walls, and miss them until we meet again. I wish them all a Happy New Year. And, for goodness sakes, get thee to Texas!

See you soon!

Missed One

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:53:00 +0000

From the matching PJ shoot.

Beautiful girl.

Indiana Cousins

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Wagliardo) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I was talking to my SIL Terri a few days before we headed north and we ascertained that our kids had matching pajamas and we didn't even plan it! Score! So, the first night we were in Indy, we tried to get some holiday photos of the kids in their pajamas. So, here are some of the Indiana cousins:

Ok, but first, look at this cutie!

We tried this shot again.

Shocking, I know - my kid wasn't interested in playing along.

We turned out a good one of these four, though.

Next up - some fireplace backdrop photos.

May I just say, taking photos of five children who are not all under the age of four is MUCH EASIER than when they are all under the age of four, aka the Dallas crew. But, it's all fun, no matter what. This photo shoot, my son, the angel that he is, was the biggest challenge.

Then, on their tummies, in front of the fireplace.

Probably the best one.

Then we tried in front of the tree.

But Gibson was done. Enough!

Cute kids, fun photos, matching pajamas! Nothing says Christmas like that!

See you soon.