"Eggs"tending E-A-S-T-E-R

E is for all the eggs Gillian Grace tried to stuff in her mouth during her first Easter egg hunt and for our hasty exit during Easter Sunday service after a loud noise put her on edge.

Mmmmm, yummy! Yellow is tasty...

But purple tastes even better!

A is for the anxiety I feel before introducing Gillian Grace to any new situation and for the annoying little boy in shortalls left to run amuck while his momma jibber jabbered with her friends all while pretending not to notice my increasing aggravation as we tried to snap pictures without capturing her son in the frame as he assaulted the tree behind us with plastic eggs.

I see London, I see France, and I see GG's underpants!

Wet wipe, please! I've got dirt on my hands.

S is for all the staring strangers that stopped to smile at GG as we took her picture during the Festival of Flowers and for the random guy that stepped in and started making silly noises and faces during our impromptu photo shoot leaving me thinking, "Serenity now!"

Festival of Flowers 2010

T is for the ten seconds of tears after a tiny rogue bubble caused a bit of trouble when it took a sudden jog to the left and landed smack dab on GG's cheek.

And to think I thought these bubbles were friendly!

E is for the endless enjoyment we get out of watching her expressions of elation and excitement.

If I'm supposed to be looking straight ahead then why are Mommy and Grandad over there?


Cut it out Mom, I'm working here!

Here's looking at you, Easter Bunny!

Now wasn't this picture of me worth the wait in line behind a kid with a poo-stinky diaper ?

R is for the Azalea Trail Maid's yellow ruffles that caught GG's eye during the Festival of Flowers and had me rushing home to research the history behind the Maids and the rules and requirements associated with becoming one.

With several colors to choose from, don't you think future Florida Gator Miss Gillian Grace would look beautiful in the orange antebellum costume?

From a to z, this was holiday was full of fun firsts. What was your favorite part of Easter?

Wordless Wednesday

Diaper Duty

Before I had a child of my own, the thought of changing a dirty diaper triggered a gag reflex so violent, it sent me searching for the Pepto. You would've thought that as an elementary school teacher, I would've become accustomed to all things gross. Snot, whatcha got? Boogers, bring it on! Tiny booboos from playground tumbles, ain't no thang! And after seven years of teaching, I'd seen just about everything. But no matter how hard I tried, there were still a few things I couldn't handle. Let's just say I am a firm believer that what goes down (a child's lunch for example), should stay down. And if it's coming from a place usually covered by pants, then check please 'cause I'm outta there.

A bit ashamed to admit just how squeamish I was, I was the teacher with the supply of latex gloves in my desk drawer that never hesitated to send for cleanup help at the first sign that a bodily fluid of some sort was about to make a surprise appearance. Until Gillian Grace was born, I had never changed a diaper, let alone a dirty one. So I figured that I was either going to be the worst mother in the history of the world, afraid of what may be lurking in my own child's diaper, or I was going to learn to hold my breath and get 'er done! Luckily, as it turned out, my aversion to bodily fluids was no match for my instinctive need to nurture my child, and I quickly got over my poop and puke paranoia. I can't really explain it, but some how it's just different when it's your child.

During GG's first few weeks on Earth we documented practically everything, and being a new mom I obsessed over the number and type of dirty diapers she had. But it didn't take too many tally marks before we abandoned our log realizing that all was A okay in this area. We also quickly learned the tell tale signs that she was working up something special for us. Her face turns chili pepper red, her eyes narrow and fill with tears, and a series of grunts ensue. When this happens, it's time to batten down the hatches and head for cover 'cause she's gonna blow! And what ever you do, don't laugh. Hide your face if you must, but never let her see you smile while "work is in progress," as she's very sensitive and will have a meltdown so big it'll make Britney's hair shaving incident pale in comparison.

Just yesterday, Gillian Grace had not one, but count 'em, two baths before 1 o'clock in the afternoon. We always take a bath in the morning, but the impromptu after lunch spa time is not usually a part of our daily routine. The need for a little scrub-a-dub-dub arose after GG's afternoon constitutional of apocalyptic proportions. Of course this all happened only minutes after Daddy headed back to work after lunch. To say that this diaper was massive would've been the understatement of the century, and it wasn't only Gillybean that was left needing to be scrubbed. On the bright side, we were at home and not out running errands like we usually are when a poop of this magnitude happens. The fine art of diaper-chi is tough enough without having to add the cargo area of an SUV, a diaper bag, and too close for comfort gray-haired drivers that can't park their over-sized Cadillacs to the equation. Funny how Gillian Grace always saves all the diaper drama for her Mama.

Please do not disturb... (Vintage GG, September '09)



Work in progress... (Fall '09)



Thank you for your patience! (Fall '09)


Yesterday's second bath of the day! I'm so clean I squeak!

On the way into Target a few weeks ago...

On the way out...Notice anything different?



Usually Gillian Grace decides to wait until we head out on our errands to take care of business. Experience has taught me to pack at least two changes of clothes, always!

Multi-Tasking Monday

I was five the year I decided to hide my own Easter eggs. After all, I'd seen my mom and dad do it, and it didn't look that hard. Of course when you're five, you know it all and everything looks easy! I hid eggs here, there, and everywhere throughout our house. And because I was five and it was tough enough remembering to keep my shoes tied let alone recall where I'd hidden a basket full of Easter eggs, Mom and Dad joined me in the hunt. Being the good parents they are, Mom and Dad pretended not to see the eggs hidden in plain sight and slowly we collected all the eggs, or so we thought. Fast forward several weeks later. It didn't take Pinocchio to notice the smell coming from my closet. Mom tore the closet apart looking for stink's origin but found nothing. The stench was so bad, Dad even crawled into the attic to make sure that an animal hadn't gotten in the attic and died. Skip ahead several more days and the odoriferous offender was finally discovered. You don't have to be Angela Lansbury to figure out that a rotten Easter egg was the culprit. After the Easter Egg Incident of '84, Mom decided that plastic eggs were for hiding and hard boiled eggs were for eating. Thank you, Easter Bunny!

With all the hard boiled eggs in your refrigerator, this week's recipe is perfect for the day after Easter. This week's recipe is egg salad. Love it or hate it, there's really no in between. But here's hoping you'll save the ham sandwich for another day and at least give this recipe a try.

The Best-Ever Egg Salad

6 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt)
Salt and pepper
A tiny squeeze of lemon juice
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
2 small handfuls of lettuce
8 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, a couple generous pinches of salt and pepper, now mash with a fork. Don't overdo it, you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more mayo to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time.

Stir in the celery and chives. Taste, and adjust the seasoning - adding more salt and pepper if needed.

To assemble each egg salad sandwich: place a bit of lettuce on a piece of toast, top with the egg salad mixture, and finish by creating a sandwich with a second piece of toast.

Make 4 sandwiches.

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With so many things I wanted to include today, I've dubbed today Multi-Tasking Monday. Be sure to scroll down for two additional new posts.

He Lives!

I serve a risen Savior,

He's in the world today;
I know that He is living,
Whatever foes may say;
I see His hand of mercy,
I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him
He's always near.



He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives
today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.



In all the world around me
I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary
I never will despair;
I know that He is leading
Thro' all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing
Will come at last.



He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives
today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.



Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
To Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him,
The help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
So good and kind.



He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives

today!
He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He live, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

One of my favorite hymns, He Lives, was our closing song yesterday during Easter Sunday service. It would be impossible for me to reflect upon my life and the world around me and not see that it was all made possible by His hand. Glory be to God, Christ Jesus lives today!

Mommy and Me Monday

Gillian Grace and I love spending time outside. Since Spring has sprung and warmer days are here, we look forward to may more days outdoors. Now if only I could find a way to keep her from eating the grass!

Hosted by Krystyn

Somebunny Special

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail
Hippity Hoppity, Happy Easter Day!

















"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. " John 3:16-17

How will you spend this special day?

Flashback Friday and 200th Post

Late Summer 1981

I loved being the center of attention as a child. Some things never change.

What has captured your attention today?

Just a Swingin'

The sun was out, temperatures were mild and made all the more pleasant by a soft breeze, and a few wispy clouds dotted the sky providing just the right amount of shade. In other words, it was a perfect day for the park.

At only 8 months, Gillian Grace is still too young to be able to take full advantage of all that our neighborhood park has to offer. But, she did discover a new love... swingin'. From the moment we placed her in the swing, GG was one happy camper. I was the designated swing pusher while Bret played photographer. From the swing, she had a sprawling view of the entire park and was able to take part in a favorite family past time, people-watching! With close to 100 people milling about that day, she didn't seem particularly captivated by any one soul. And despite the giggles and stares directed her way from the lil' guy occupying the swing next to her, Gillian Grace never seemed to notice and seemed content just to swing.

Before calling it a day, I helped GG down the slide a few times and couldn't keep from laughing as the static electricity caused tiny strands of her hair to poke through her crochet hat. I like to think that the sweet smile she flashed us on the way to our car was her way of saying "thank you," and the laughter that followed, a reminder that we should "do it again real soon".

Do you have a favorite park memory?