Charlotte's First Pigtails

This may very well be the cutest thing I've seen...well...today!

She doesn't look like a baby anymore--she looks like a big girl!

Look what I can do!

Since I got my new toy, Photoshop CS4, I can do nothing else but supe up pictures in my files. I really don't know what I'll do once Randy is done with school--I'll have no time to do cool stuff like this!

This is my SOOC (straight-out-of-the-camera) shot:

This is the same shot with a little "color pop" to it:

This one has a bit of a vintage look to it:

This one looks somewhat faded:

This is a nice portrait-type. Notice the soft skin tones, enhanced eyes and colors:

This one has a sort of watercolor finish to it (which, by the way, doesn't look nearly as good here in blogger--sorry!):

When does this stop being cute?

Remember when you used to be able to wear anything and never consider how your arms looked in that shirt? Or how your legs looked in those shorts?

Charlotte has this yummy fatty part under her arm

that I just want to squeeze everytime I see it. She got it from me...

...but no one wants to squeeze mine.

Sick of Sick...Tired of Tired

Charlotte has been sick for what is now almost 4 weeks: fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, sleeplessness, pulling at ears, refusing to nurse or eat...you name it! All she wants to do is lay in your lap and suck her thumb and hold onto her blankee. Pitiful!

We have been to see Dr. Moss 2 times in the last 3 weeks and are going again tomorrow. The last 2 visits he has dubbed it a "virus," which we all know means they won't give us any medicine!

One would think that after having a fever off and on for this long, it would equate to something. But who am I? Oh, yeah, I'm the one who is getting up in the night with a screaming baby, trying to keep a toddler asleep, force-feeding Motrin in the dark, stumbling around without my glasses, praying for healing, singing "Jesus Loves Me."

Just a day in the life of a mother!

Its all goin' south

Yesterday, I make a couple of pineapple upside-down cakes: one for us and one for the neighbors. Well, it originally started out to be just for the neighbors, but I remembered that you can't make dessert in this house without Randy Sapp wanting some. So, 2 cakes it is. Outside of peach cobbler, this is about the most southern cake you could make!

I just thought I'd share the recipe!

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
(This is my Mama Cook's recipe.)
(I wish I had some really great pictures like Pioneer Woman does, but it was all I could do to keep Garrett's hands out of the bowl!)

1 stick of butter
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 large can of pineapple rings
1 box yellow cake mix
Whatever other ingredients your boxed cake mix calls for.

In your IRON SKILLET (people, don't even think about using anything else. If you don't have one--GET ONE!), toss in your butter and brown sugar and turn it on medium or so. Just get it all to melt together. Once its melted, take it off the stove and drain your pineapple rings, (but keep the juice), lay them around the pan in a circle and put a couple in the middle.

In a separate bowl, dump in your cake mix and instead of the water it will call for, use the pineapple juice and fill it up with however much water to make what is called for (did that make sense?) Add whatever other ingredients your mix calls for (probably eggs and oil). Mix it like the package says, and then pour it into your iron skillet on top of the pineapples.

Bake it in the oven according to the mix directions. Don't be afraid to cook it a little longer than you would a regular cake because the butter and brown sugar on the bottom (which will be the top) are hard at work carmelizing; and I think I like it best when that part is a little chewy!!!When you pull it out, immediately turn it upside-down onto a plate, or whatever you will serve it on. A little of the buttery sauce will run down the sides!! YUM!!!

If you're a true southerner, you'll get you a big glass of milk to go with your warm cake!

Let me know what you think!

My Indulgence

Randy "accidentally" found his graduation gift last weekend--a set of these really great PING golf clubs, complete with a fat-daddy driver and a huge-o putter, a PING bag and golf shoes.

Now, that probably means nothing to those of you out there who don't play golf; however, in "golf world" all that means is that I'm now considered "wife of the year" so please don't even send in your ballot!

Anyway, I think he felt bad about finding them early. I mean, I cried, people! So, out of his guilt (I think) he let me buy this:

And, yes, I got the student edition because he is still a student (see how that works?) Which means I saved, like, a ton of money! Isn't that cool how I can spend money and STILL save him money? Only a woman could do that!

Ta-Da!

So, the kitchen remodel has been completed for a few weeks; however, I've neglected to get back with you on the outcome. (Really, my husband is pushing for this post so you all know that he DID complete the project!)

So, here it is:

This is actually a light that was also given to us by the good folks at Parkside Homes who were tossing it out! We got a lot of stuff that way it seems!

Here is an OSHA violation--Randy standing on the tip-top of the ladder which clearly states not to stand above the step BEFORE the top.

And the completed cabinet after Randy moved it up 6 inches to accommodate for the microwave!

Here is my beautiful tile--thank you to Steven who did a fabulous job! A side note: Garrett informed the tile man, "Don't poop in the bathtub!" Just in case he was thinking about it!

And my 2 best boys, hard at work with their saws!

Potty Mouth

As you know, we've been potty training Garrett with much success! Since this is now the "big thing" going on in our lives, it seems to be all he wants to talk about; and being a boy, he wants to say some pretty gross things! I had to start writing some of them down because they were just too funny to go to waste!! Here are some of the funny things we've done/discussed lately:



-(as he's grunting) "I'm gonna poop a big fat one"



-"Mommy poke her pee pee in?"



-(after he grunted) "No poop; I just tooted"



-(looking back after he pooped) "That poop look like 2 buffaloes...I poop 2 buffaloes"



-(trying to poke his pee pee in the potty, and failing) "Ohhh...I pee in my eye...ohhh, I pee in my face!"



-"Mommy need poop? No? Just try"



-(as he's grunting) "I squeeze one out"



-(after sitting on the potty for a while) "I need poop book"

What was that?

Do you ever play this game with the leftovers you find in your fridge? You know, that stuff that is now green and black and smells like Pine-sol?

We played this game at our house yesterday, only it was a cup I found in Garrett's closet.

This is what we saw:

And this is the glob that came out:

Carefully, I opened it up to pour it out and it smelled like the Jack Daniels' Distillary in my kitchen!

Garrett said, "That's juice...no milk...no juice."

My final guess is juice.

This week's poll--Easter baskets

Sunday morning, I was informed by my husband that he put our Easter baskets outside so we wouldn't have to sneek them past the kids. I'm sorry, what???

You put our baskets where? Why?

Apparently, his parents put their Easter baskets outside because "the Easter bunny doesn't come in the house like Santa." He tried to convince me that it was the "southern thing to do" and that my "northern upbringings" wouldn't understand!

Well, I'm a bit of a control freak--maybe you didn't know! So, I marched right outside and brought those baskets in!

Talk to me people who were raised in the south and north alike...where did your Easter baskets go: outside or inside (where they belong--on the table!)

Easter Weekend

As my husband will tell you, I am not a woman of few words. So, in order to spare you all, I've compiled a video! Enjoy!

I just love this girl!

Boys are great--don't get me wrong. But there is just something about a little girl who wants to fix her hair and kiss her babies that makes me want to just squeeze her little fat cheeks!

And, yes, she really does wear a hairbow in the house everyday! (as long as she'll leave it in!)