Surviving

I'm surving my last week of maternity leave alone with both little ones! Alex is in California ...excited to escape the cold but disappointed that they are having the heaviest rains seen in decades! I pray he won't experience any issues while in LA this week.

The burp cloths I made a few weeks ago. I gave up on trying to figure out the embroidering machine as I realized my time is very limited lately! So I resorted to iron ons...did the job!

Emery and I took some time today practicing for her 3 month photo-shoot on Thursday. I began trying on outfits and she was in a great mood...cooing and smiling...adorbale. I'm still not convinced the tutu is ready for it's debut just yet...but it sure is cute and we'll bring it any way. She really did have more than this one expression...we played a game of peek-a-boo and she loved when I came out from behind the camera. By the time I put her in the lady bug outfit she was over it and we were almost late picking up Evan from Apple Lane.

Evan has been great this week. A funny story is that he was crying Sunday night after Alex left and saying "I want my Daddy back" as if he'd broken up with us. I warned his teachers yesterday that Alex was on a trip...that he hadn't left us!

I've been doing great this week despite my roller coaster of emotions about returning to work next week. It's really not an issue of going back it's about leaving Emery. I love my job and the people and flexibility it offers. I'm sure it will just take a week or too to get back into routine, but I was fortunate to experience all of Evan's "firsts". I've had a talk with Emery so that she'll perform hers on weekends, Mondays, Tues-Wed after 5pm or Friday afternoons! If I think of it that way it doesn't seem so bad!

I have even cooked meals this week! But don't tell Alex...I like him to think my abilities are limited to grilled cheese, breakfast, quiche and spaghetti! I can follow a recipe and even better follow one that incorporates time management...no wonder it was from Real Simple magazine!

Sounds fancy..but it was easy...again keep it on the DL if you talk to Alex! I made honey-soy salmon with roasted red peppers and sauteed spinach. Evan loved the salmon! He called it chicken but hey whatever it takes, right?! I'm just glad I didn't burn anything (I mean everything) I did manage to over sautee a handful of spinach but it shrivelled up to a spoonful in less than 30 seconds so I dumped it and made more! Amazingly, everything was done at the same time. I'm loving my subscription to my magazine! Check it out if you haven't.

Tonight, Evan assisted in the kitchen. We made mini bagel pizzas with Hormel mini-pepperonis...created by one of my best friends! Thanks Holly for your genius product! Great on salads and for dips too! :) I made a spinach, strawberry, walnut salad topped wiht Hormel Natural Choice Grilled Chicken...similar to, but better than those ones called "shortcuts"!! Just doing my part with the plugs.

I'm glad this post finally saved as I wrote it three times...