I Blinked And....

Nate finished up his first year of preschool today.

What??

I don't know where the last nine months have gone.

He's changed soooo much just in the last sixty days that I don't remember my little Nater Tot from way back in September 2011.

Nate's signed up for three weeks of summer school (Monday thru Friday; morning hours only) and he seems pretty excited about it. Maybe not as excited as his mama who is super stoked to experience what it's like to have three hours alone every Monday/Wednesday/Friday during the month of June. Don't get me wrong -- I love my kid to bits but I can't wait to have some time to accomplish a few tasks SOLO. Like cleaning out cupboards, yard work and re-staining our outdoor bistro table. You know, fun stuff like that.

Hit the Road, Jack

We took a very, very, very small road trip this weekend. 

Lee cranked up the iPod, Nate had a stack of books in the backseat, and off we went for the 1 hour drive east to Rancho Cucamonga (don't be jealous). 

We wanted Nate to experience his first baseball game this year and rather subject him (and us) to the insanity of Dodger Stadium, we decided to head East to see our favorite minor league team, The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. When planning this outing, we thought it might be fun to spend the night in a hotel in RC since Nate has never slept in a hotel before. Then the next morning, we'd visit Victoria Gardens for some major {window} shopping, including a stop at the Bass Pro Shop for Lee. That was the plan, anyway. So how did it go? Take a look:

Nate getting down to business after we arrive at our hotel room

Changed our plans & visited Bass Pro first. Nate was a wild man after sitting in the car for over an hour. Lee looked pretty tense and had a "I can't believe this is my only 2012 vacation" look on his face during Nate's antics.

Merry Christmas, Nate's Gramma. 

Hope you enjoy this remote controlled rat. 

Note the description: "creepy scurrying action."

Nothing says feminine sweetness like a 3-month old camo dress. 

Nate was not a fan of Daddy's target practice. 

Bass Pro Shop. Disneyland for men.

My first meal ever at a Chick-fil-a. 

Now I can cross that off my list of "to dos."

Play ball! Our awesome seats were behind home plate. Did I mention our tickets cost 20 bucks total? I think that's how much they charge for parking at Dodger Stadium. If you live in SoCal, you have to see the Quakes. It's a fun, family-friendly experience.

My boys.

Nate chats with Tremor, the team mascot. 

Tremor playfully grabbed Nate's head with both of his hands and I think Nate added Tremor to his Enemy List at that exact moment.

This is what I look like after 4 hours of sleep....ugh, gross. Bad hotel experience (I won't bore you with details). Anyway, my first visit to a Hobby Lobby saved the trip for me. ANOTHER place crossed off my "to do" list. 

That's the trip, in a nutshell. We drove thru Victoria Gardens this morning after breakfast and Hobby Lobby, & decided to nix the window shopping. We headed home early and had a relaxing rest of the day. Can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight!!!! (I'm a homebody, can't you tell??)

My Recipe Pins

It seems crazy that since my blogging hiatus began in September, Pinterest has exploded into the social media site it is today. As much as I love the visual stimulation/inspiration Pinterest provides, it's easy to get caught up in the occasional thought of "my kitchen needs to be remodeled and look exactly like that person's pin." Or "I'm a bad mom for not throwing my 4-year old a perfect birthday party." That's when Pinterest gets dangerous. 

I've used some of my 300+ pins for inspiration but - gasp - I haven't really done much with them. I have a board of recipes that is collecting dust (just like my cookbooks -- I LOVE collecting recipes) and I think it's about time for me to start cooking! What recipes have you tried via Pinterest? I'm thinking about making these over the next couple months:

Mini Caprese Salad Bites

Bacon Zucchini Frittata

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Nate Says Hi

This was taken right after Nate's recent haircut. We went to the salon where I get my hair cut. He had a great time and all of the ladies loved him. Shelley gave him 2 Tootsie Pops and he said he wanted to save them until he got home. Then he unwrapped the cherry one and spent the next hour(!) eating it. It was his first Tootsie Pop. He's not a big fan of hard candy. Nate prefers baked goods when he gets a treat -- he'll talk your ear off about cupcakes and cookies. This picture makes me a little sad because I didn't know it at the time but he was coming down with an awful ear infection. The next 4-6 days were pure torture. It breaks your heart to see your child so sick. Thank goodness that week is over and we're back to normal. 

Like a Quiet Church Mouse....

....I return to this blog to blow the dust off the ole girl. I won't be blogging regularly -- let's get that straight from the get-go. But I have a few projects and recipes I've wanted to share for the past 6+ months. Expect to hear from me once a month. Maybe.
More later with photos too....