Archive - June, 2011

Hope’s Woof Woof

June 30, 2011 in Lana's Journal with 14 Comments

Hope has a handful of words now. Mama, Dada, hi, hi-lo (for hello) uh-oh, ga-ga (for water), poo-poo and woof woof.

As I type this I can hear Hope hollering “Mama” from her crib so I will finish this later!

OK, I’m back.

We hear uh-oh a lot because Hope does lots of uh-ohs. Hope loves water so she says ga-ga throughout the day. Hope tells us and everyone else when she goes poo-poo. She even told the lady who came over to give us a moving estimate. Perhaps she will be an early potty-trainer?

Every time Hope sees a dog, she says w00f woof.

Here she is saying woof woof while watching the Signing Times video that teaches the sign for dog:

Woof woof!

Today I went to Trader Joe’s and chatted with a mom in the freezer section who had a 15 month old little girl. While we were talking, the little girl said, “Couple more, please!” and pointed to the snack her mom was feeding her. Oh my. My mama’s heart felt a little deflated.

But, on the way home, I tried to put things into perspective.

Lauren was talking in full sentences by now. Carmen never spoke a word.

Hearing woof woof is music to our ears.

Strike A Pose (Hidden Message for Wes and Steve)

June 28, 2011 in Lana's Journal with 10 Comments

I took a picture of our TV to put on Craigslist. Apparently more than our television is being put on Craigslist.

Tell Us About Your Funny Kids

June 27, 2011 in Community, Lana's Journal with 9 Comments

Last week Lauren and I were chatting about our upcoming move.

Me: Hope’s going to be a California Baby!

Lauren: I’m going to be a hippie!

(Long pause)

Lauren: What’s a hippie?

Lauren is with her cousins this week so we’re missing our little entertainer.

Future Hippie

So, tell us about yours! Today’s More About You Monday question is: What funny, cute, entertaining or mischievous things have your kids said/done?

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I would like to also announce that yesterday Hope said “Mama” for the first time. :)

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[This post is part of an ongoing blog series to get to know each other better. Have you read and participated in the other "More About You Monday" questions?]

 

Happy Birthday Kevin!!!

June 25, 2011 in Lana's Journal with 5 Comments

This is a big day for my brother Kevin. Not only has he reached 30 years old, but he has lost 45 lbs. this year and hopes to lose 50 more by Christmas.

Come on Kevin you can do it, put a little power to it! Yay Kevin!!!

Congratulations Kevin. We wish you a very, very happy birthday.

And a very happy 7th birthday to our niece Samaiah! We hope you have a very fun birthday!

Taco Pasta Salad

June 24, 2011 in Lana's Journal, Recipes with 3 Comments

I love salads. I love salads with vegetables, salads with fruits, salads with lots of stuff and salads with only a few ingredients.

Recently, I threw together a taco salad that we ended up really liking. So, I decided to share it with all of you!

Taco Pasta Salad

  • 1 lb. ground beef (or turkey)
  • 1 package taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning (see recipe below)
  • 12 ounce package spiral pasta
  • lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
  • tomato, chopped
  • onion, diced
  • cheddar cheese, shredded
  • sour cream
  • chips, broken into bite-size pieces (I used some left over Doritos I found in the pantry.)

Cook ground beef. Add taco seasoning and 1 cup of water (taco seasoning packages usually call for 3/4 cup of water. Increase it to 1 cup so you have a little more sauce for the salad.) Simmer for a couple of minutes until the ground beef and seasoning are combined.

Cook spiral pasta according to package directions. Drain.

On a plate, put a layer of pasta. Put taco meat on top with plenty of the sauce. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion, shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and crushed chips.

If you feel like making  your own taco seasoning, it is super easy. I like the following recipe:

Taco Seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar, to taste

Mix all spices together in small bowl. Cook 1 lb. ground beef, drain, put back in skillet, add 1 cup water and spice mix. Cook a couple of minutes until blended.

Enjoy!

(I personally do not think this salad needs extra salad dressing. The sauce from the meat plus the cheese which melts a little plus the sour cream is dressing enough for me. But, feel free to add  your favorite salad dressing if you need something more.)

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Dave found a house! After he signs the lease, I’ll write a post with some of the details. Thank you God!

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