Time for the Fair

The Fred, SweetBoy, and I got a chance to go to the fair yesterday with our "Boo," and we all had a blast. Unfortunately, Papa "C" had to work, but he got in a little time with the kiddos since we spent the night Monday night. Both kids seemed to enjoy their first fair trip, and of course, I was happy because Boo and I got Polish sausages with peppers and onions for lunch...yummy!

By the time our fair trip was over, we had pet a few cows, seen baby chicks and ducks, watched some dancing clowns and Inspector Detector the Dog, The Fred had a blow-up Dora doll and multi-color cotton candy, SweetBoy was still giggling, and MommaDrool and Boo were in dire need of a Tums. Sounds like a perfect trip to the fair to get the fall season started right!

Almost There...

Thank you so much to all of you for the donations and support that I have received for Race for the Cure! I am just $25 short of my fundraising goal, but we have exceeded our collective Team Becca goal...hip-hip hooray!

I can't wait for the race Saturday morning...the weather should be cool enough that we will be able to enjoy being outside. Thank you again for all of your support, and I am planning to run the 5K next year...after 20 minutes of running on the treadmill with my personal trainer tonight, I am well on my way! See you Saturday morning!

Bed-Hoarding

Okay, we all talk about what our kids will do in their rooms when left alone, but The Fred has started an unlikely tradition...hoarding items in her bed...

I went into her room this morning to find her laying in her bed surrounded by various items. If you look at the picture, the Pull-Ups box is filled to the brim with toys and Mr. Potato Head's body is filled with lipstick and socks. I am not sure why she has started this, but she does it at nap time and bedtime. Very odd, indeed...maybe she is scared that someone will take her stuff while she is sleeping...I dunno, but I am getting so tired of having to put everything up after she wakes up.

And by the way, the little monster that has frequented the homes of BlueMomma and MommaPeas, leaving a trail of shredded books behind, has taken up residence at our home too. All books have sought refuge on the top shelf of the bookcase. From what I can tell, the monster must be under four feet tall...

It's a Good Thing...

Top Five Things That I Love...Right Now:

1) New 5-quart saute pan...for cooking lots of yummy food
2) Red & black polka dot broom and jumbo dust pan...for cleaning up crushed Goldfish
3) My hand-me-down FoodSaver...for keeping strawberries fresh for longer than I ever thought possible
4) Vanilla & Lavender fabric softener...because it makes the sheets smell soooo good
5) Baby carrots dipped in Annie's Naturals Goddess Dressing...oh, a taste to die for

Race for the Cure: Team Becca

As most of you know, the 16th Annual Race for the Cure at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham, Alabama takes place on Saturday, October 13, 2007. Few Alabama traditions touch the hearts of so many like the Komen Birmingham Race for the Cure. Every year thousands of people come out to give moms, dads, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons and friends the the gift of life, support and hope.

I hope that as many of you as possible will join me to help support my friend, Rebecca Jenkins, a breast cancer survivor. I will be participating in the race this year with several of my friends and family in support of Becca and her family. You can go to Team Becca to register.

If you can't participate, you can still make a donation to the team or one of the members that will be racing.

Team Becca will meet in front of Boutwell Auditorium in Downtown Birmingham at 7:30 am the morning of the race. Thanks everyone for your support - look forward to seeing you there!

Favorite Recipe: MommaDrool Meatloaf

Well, several of us discussed meatloaf at the park today, and although, it is normally not a part of my normal cooking fare, I decided I would whip some up for dinner tonight. One of my grandmothers used to tell me that meatloaf could be made with a pound of ground beef and any leftovers you can find in the fridge. Even though I respect and enjoy most of her cooking decisions, this is one that I was never able to take to heart...reminds me of mystery meat. Instead, this is a more traditional take on meatloaf with a little pizazz...sorry, that's a word in my grandmother's repertoire, so I thought I would throw it in for good measure! Enjoy!

MommaDrool Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Texas Pete hot sauce
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can tomato sauce
2 bacon slices

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ground beef and next nine ingredients (through diced tomatoes) until combined.
2) Shape mixture into one loaf (9 x 4 inches) and place in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.
3) Pour tomato sauce over loaf and arrange two bacon slices on top.
4) Bake for one hour and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The Fred Flees the Scene

We made a trip to Target today to return some items and purchase a few more. The Fred is a big fan of the carts with the two seats at the front, so we found one for her to ride in as soon as we pulled into the parking lot. After I strapped in The Fred, I decided to let SweetBoy ride in his car seat on top of the cart (this way he is out of the line of fire when The Fred starts pitching a fit and throwing punches...which is almost a guarantee if we are in public).

After I finished picking up the few items I needed, we proceeded to the express checkout lane. Usually, this is The Fred's favorite part of a shopping trip...putting the items on the checkout belt, pushing all of the buttons on the credit card machine, making friends with the cashier, and telling her life story to everyone standing in line behind us. Today, The Fred had other plans...

Once I had finished unloading the items we were purchasing, another Target employee asked me if we had dropped a bottle a few rows back. Of course, it was ours...The Fred had chucked it...she then stated, "I threw it...it went far, far away!" Why am I not surprised? As I stepped forward to retrieve the bottle, The Fred put her plans into action...

From behind me, I hear, "Momma, I'm out!" What? What do you mean? (...spinning around in horror...) And she's off! Running at full speed...through the automatic doors at the exit...onto the sidewalk...around the corner...

"STOOOOP," I scream, but it is no use. Alright Mom, think quick....abandon SweetBoy at checkout line and piss off all customers in line behind us...or...take off in a mad dash after The Fred and beat her relentlessly while avoiding store cameras...

As I take off after her, here she comes around the corner...being carried like a sack of potatoes by a woman (another mother, of course) that grabbed her just as she rounded the corner. As we made eye contact, she said, "I would be willing to bet that this is yours." "Yes, but I think the saying is 'finders, keepers,'" I reply. We both get a good laugh out of it, and she hands over The Fred. Looks like someone won't be going to the park today after all...