Little Girl, Big Personality

I started this post last week when Izzy was having one of her overall best/sweetest weeks ever.  This week started off a little rough, but I keep reminding myself that she is almost 2 and it seems to be some sort of rite of passage for parents. 

Regardless of her "typical" 2 year old behaviors, it is amazing the little person she is turning into.  She is no longer a baby, but a tiny person (I realize babies are tiny people but not my point).  Her vocabulary is blossoming like crazy and it seems that every day she is saying new words or animal sounds.  She has also started repeating almost everything she hears which keeps me on my toes.  She dances along to the radio and mimics movements on TV (I think I enjoy watching her as much as she enjoys watching Little Einsteins).

I could go on and on about her cuteness.  The one thing that is both the coolest and also most frustrating is that she has now started picking out her own clothes.  I recently learned the hard way that gone are the days of throwing her into the first outfit I grab and running out the door.  She now requests things like "Minnie shirt" or "other jeans" (Yes, she has a preference of certain pairs of jeans over other ones!).  Yesterday for church I picked out an adorable grey and black dress for her to wear.  Bruce had to wrestle her into her black tights only for her to freak out about the dress, yanking on it and crying.  I told him to just let her put on whatever so we could get out the door.  What did she wear to church?  Her black tights, a pink and blue striped dress, her windbreaker, and just for good measure - her multicolored winter hat (tho it was 60 degrees outside).

On one hand I wonder if I am creating a monster by allowing her to dictate what she will and will not wear.  But at the same time, there are days I will put on 6 different shirts or 3 pairs of pants till I find one that feels and looks right.   Guess she is just starting out young!

Cooking 101

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have never been a big fan of cooking.  I am not necessarily a bad cook, I have just never found it enjoyable.  I'm sure it doesn't help that I have also never had much confidence in myself when it comes to trying new recipes or being creative.  In recent months I have been really trying to find more joy and satisfaction from cooking.  And I must say that my overall attitude about it is changing.  I have been trying new recipes and even straying away from the recipes occasionally.  The most joy comes from knowing that I have provided my family with a nice, homemade meal.

All that being said, I still have one major complaint about cooking - the "prep time" that most recipes give you.  I don't think there has ever been a time when I was able to get a meal all put together in the amount of time it is supposed to take.  Even putting aside the fact that I often have crying, whining, or clinging children "helping" in the kitchen, it usually takes me at least twice as long as it's supposed to for the dinner to be actually in the oven (stove, slow cooker).  I think the only way I could ever get a meal prepped in the suggested amount of time was if I had my own personal sous chef who did all the chopping of vegetables and browning of meat! 

I also wouldn't complain about a bus boy to clean up the dishes and mess once I was finished cooking...

; )

Blogging?

Writing a blog was something I had always considered doing.  Anyone who knows me well knows I always have something to say.  But I was nervous whether anyone else would want to "hear" what I had to ramble on about.  Then last month I was inspired/encouraged by a friend to give it a shot.  And I decided why not add blogging to the list of new year's resolutions.


So far the most challenging part of this new venture?  Trying to come up with a blog address that wasn't already in use.  After 30+ failed attempts, I went with the ever creative "andreatoohey".   Hopefully my posts will be more enlightening than that!  Thanks for joining me on this journey.