Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Is anyone still reading this blog? My resolution for 2011 is more posts!!!


We had a great Christmas - it was quiet. Santa didn't come but he left a note : "Dear Thomson, Better Luck Next Year, love, Santa"


Gamma and Gampa came and brought over lots of fun presents, Thomson's favorite was a wooden firetruck with 5 firemen that are magnetic to the inside. He thinks the magnets are pretty cool! He also started saying a new word: Firetruck...although he omits the ire and tr. Read between the lines people! If you hear Thomson saying this word, he didn't learn it from me!!! He has been saying it over and over, luckily not in public yet.


Here are some videos - from Christmas morning and yesterday. Thomson started pulling up to his feet about two weeks ago and then he started walking along furniture. He is very proud of himself. We have been practicing walking behind push toys but I have to hold the front end so it doesn't go too fast. This has been typical of all of Thomson's gross motor development, he does things very slowly and intentionally. Notice on the walking video how slowly he sits down at the end - he hates to fall on his bottom so he looks like an old man sitting down. It cracks me up every time!




And even though it is as much an anti-war song as it is a Christmas song, this one is my favorite Christmas song, (writen by Henry W. Longfellow during the Civil War). Verses 1, 4-5


I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.


And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth," I said
"For hate is strong and mocks the song,
Of peace on earth, good will to men"


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
the wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

green beans gussied up

So I said I would be back soon with a recipe. These are my favorite Green Beans that Gus' parents make often. I think it is an old, modified, Cooking Light recipe. They are healthy and pretty. I made them for a new mom last week. When I cook it is kind of loose and I follow my own rules, but here is the approximate recipe!

Note: This makes two pans - you can cut this in half if you want only 1 pan.

Ingredients:
2 bags frozen french-style green beans
8 - 10 Roma tomatoes
1 bag Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
2 onions, sliced thin (not diced, sliced!)
2-3 tbsp Basalmic vinegar
Dash of Sugar
2 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Thyme
Salt and papper to taste


1. Cook green beans according to package. Place in the bottom of your dish.

2. Saute onion in a little olive oil until caramelized. Next add basalmic vinegar and deglaze pan. Add basil, sugar, oregano, thyme, and a little salt and pepper. Layer over the green beans. (Note: don't use too much basalmic or it will get drippy. You want the basalmic to soak into the onion)

3. Slice the roma tomatoes and layer over the onion mixture

4. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until cheese is brown on top.

Yum! Enjoy. I am cooking a new chicken recipe in the crock pot tonight, it smells so good! If it taste just as good, I will post the recipe! I am into crock pots these days!!!

More thoughts and a party

More thoughts on Thomson:

You are ticklish everywhere, everywhere!

You eat a lot and are usually not very picky. We do try to keep it bland, though.

You love when Gus comes home and when we look out the window and see Bates running around the yard

You love to be outside

You have 7 teeth and 1 more coming in this week

You are crawling and pulling up on furniture but only to your knees - I guess that is far enough for you!

The bubble party was a lot of fun! Erin brought a borrowed bubble machine that was the best! If you ever need a bubble machine, look for one called "The Gazillion". It blew hundreds of bubbles the whole time and all the kids loved it!

Thomson's cake was just a cheap one from Publix. This was a party on a budget! At publix they give you a free smash cake when you order a regular one. I had them keep it plain and just put his monogram on it. For the big cake, they did white icing and I decorated it myself.

I had a hard time finding tablecloths for the card tables, and because I never learned how to sew, I bought navy felt and cut it with pinking shears. They turned out perfect!

We served BBQ from Johnny's in Marietta and snacks for the kids: raisin boxes, applesauce, goldfish, juice boxes.

Aunt Evie and Uncle DJ came all weekend and helped us make PomPom decorations that we hung everywhere to look like bubbles! We put a few on the front porch and mailbox. Thomson loved his cake and ate it with both hands. I had to cut him off after he ate half! I don't think we have any pictures of him looking at the camera because he was so intent on the cake!

Check back next fall for details on Thomson's tractor party!
Mr. Gus is going to give all the kids a ride . . .