Hodge podge

Melt me - 1) the kids after bath time. 2) I like to stalk my kids while they sleep because they are C.U.T.E.! 3) Robbie crammed into the stroller during a trip to the outlet mall... he was so exhausted from skipping his nap that he cashed out after requesting that I make him a 'tent'. 4) Ellie now runs up to me nearly every hour of the day just to grab my leg with both arms and say "Awww, I love you Mama!", and then resumes playing. 5) The way Robbie and Ellie encourage one another on their own now. "Good job lining up the blocks, Ellie!" "Good job going pee pee on the potty, Robbie!" Not making this up. 6) How often my husband does the dishes for me, picks up the kids' toys at the end of the day, and watches shows on TV that crack me up but humor him very little. It's L.O.V.E.

Really? - 1) Madeline woke up 3 mornings in a row with one eye swollen shut last week. Still uncertain as to why, suspect some sort of allergic reaction. 2) Ellie's two year old tantrums are unlike anything I've ever seen, and have a tendency to erupt in public and at bedtime (waking everyone else up from peaceful slumber). It's a good thing she's so cute (and of course that I love her unconditionally!). 3) I drove 30 minutes to a battery store and brought in our old battery back up for the sump pump (um, those suckers are heavy btw) and asked for an exact replacement, only to be sold the wrong battery (discovered when I returned home, of course).

Pet peeves - 1) A perk to summer being over is not having to deal with people who take advantage of being on a bike by riding on the street (like a motorist) with total disregard for the rules of the road (like a pedestrian). PICK ONE. Am I right? It's not just annoying, it's dangerous. 2) How disorganized my closets get. I just purged and organized them a few months ago and they are complete disasters again. Boo. 3) Messy toothpaste caps or lids. 4) When someone rings my doorbell in the middle of dinner or bath time to sell me something. I'm talking about you, lawn guy. 5) The person at the drive thru or at the front of the line at the register who leisurely chats up the cashier about what they may want to order but is clearly not ready to make a decision yet. 6) Snotty noses and coughs that seem to stick around until spring. 7) The purse with an exposed zipper on the outside that catches on my shirt sleeve and causes a hundred little snags. 8) Smug librarians who look down their nose at you when you have to pay a fine. Don't they know that they are getting free money!? What do they really care if you keep a book for more than 3 weeks? Did THEY want to read it? I think they should just take my $1.50, say "Thanks, sucka!" and not act disappointed as if it's a personal offense. 9) The fact that the infant is our best sleeper right now. 10) How dark it is through the early morning hours.

Confessions - 1) During Glee last night, when Quinn revealed at the end she was going to try and get full custody of her daughter, I might have 'tsked' under my breath without realizing it until Rob looked over at me and said, "Did you just go 'tsk'?!". I have a hard time separating how I feel in real life from dramas I watch on TV. It's actually exhausting. (I'm such an old lady.) 2) I nearly burned brunch this morning when I turned the oven on to 350 but didn't realize the other dial was set to Broil. This happens frequently. Curse you, double dials.

Genius - 1) The show "Up All Night". 2) Jen Hatmaker's blog - found HERE. Her latest post "Fake Family" made me laugh so hard. 3) This recipe makes me feel like a culinary genius. Please overlook how simple it is and let me have my moment. I made it up myself!

Individual Egg Casseroles

10 eggs

2 cups 2% milk

12 oz shredded cheese

4 green onions

6-8 slices of deli ham, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 slices white bread, crustless and cubed

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of rosemary

Mix eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, cheese, onions and ham. Mix well. Add bread cubes and gently stir together. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.

Grease 2 muffin tins. With a large spoon, scoop egg mixture into muffin tins filling each about 2/3 full (you'll have enough egg mixture to fill both tins). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until egg mixture is set in the middle and the edges are just starting to brown.