A to Z...

I made a book for Colin!  It came today in the mail (from Shutterfly).  I am sooo excited about it!  It was fun to make, and when I showed Colin he LOVED it!  He sat and I read it to him like 5 times =)

Here are some of the pages.... 

This is the one that I started with!

And this one was Garet's idea (we don't own a xylophone)

I love the way it turned out!  I got the soft cover book so that Colin would have an easier time turning the pages.  And I edited all my pictures in photoshop.  I gave them all the white border so that the whole book would kinda flow better.  Colin thought it was so neat to see himself in a book - he told me so =)

Blue Skies and Valentines...

So, I take tons of picutres.  I may have a slight problem. 

Last weekend we packed up and headed to Blue Skies!  (The name of my mother-in-law's house in Morehead, NC).

We knew that when we got there, Garet was going to have a lot of yard work to do.  So that left Colin and I to find something fun to keep us entertained!  We ended up heading to the aquarium!

I don't know what setting I had my camera on the last time we went to an aquarium, but this time around I just couldn't seem to get good shots... anyone out there have any suggestions??

Anyway, Colin was a little intimidated of the big tanks at first.  The otters were going crazy swimming around, and that freaked him out at first.  They would fly by right next to us!  But once he figured out that they weren't going to get him, he loved it!

We ended up being there just in time to see a "live dive" presentation.  That's where scuba divers go in with the sharks and do a little question and answer skit...  We lasted about 10 minutes sitting here.  And that's only because Colin had a snack he was eating!

But right around the corner was part of the same tank, and no one was there (they were all at the presentation), so Colin was able to get up close and personal...

We had so much fun, just me and my little man!  Too bad Daddy couldn't come, but it was a great way to stay busy while he worked!

We left Sunday to head back here, and boy did we leave a pretty view!

We just love going and relaxing there! 

So Valentines was pretty low key here in the Beane house. 
We had chocolate hearts...

Kisses...

And flowers...

I also got a coffee mug with a picture of Colin on it - I LOVE it!  I'll have to do another post on what I gave Garet (it was a DIY idea), and Colin got some bubbles!  The container is supposed to be spill proof... I'll let ya know how that goes...  He doesn't quite get how to blow through the wand yet.  He blows, but it isn't hard enough, and he thinks he needs to put the wand right against his mouth.  So - we might have to wait a bit and try again =)

Best friends...

(.... sometimes)

Suzi is so good with Colin!  She puts up with so much.  Colin likes to play with her... like he'll run up to her and throw his body onto her.  Or he will grab one of her toys and then throw it at her.  Or if she is playing with her toy, he tries to tug it with her... this sometimes ends with him flat on the floor.

And boy does Suzi love snack time.   Actually she loves anytime Colin has food.  She knows she will usually get some.  Suzi was never allowed "people food".  (she still isn't, unless Colin gives it to her!) 

I was in the kitchen and it was really quiet in the living room.  When I walked in I saw that Colin had backed himself into Suzi, sat down, and was enjoying his snack with her leaning on him. 

I just love these two!  I love that Suzi is so good with Colin.  And I love that she is big enough to handle a ball or two thrown her way.  =)

Things we like...

I did a post here when Colin was 3 months old about what we liked (and didn't) so I figured I'd do another one now that he is 16 months old!

These IKEA plates are awesome!  Colin is learning how to use plates, and these hold up great!  (They have taken a few throws to the floor)  They are a perfect size, and Colin loves them.

Cell Phone:

Colin LOVES this toy!  The Fisher Price phone - there is music (that he dances to, of course) and it does the ABC's, and much more.  And he holds it up to his ear and says "Heee"  (Hey) haha

For snacks:

These are great!  Most of the time, if we are out and about, I put animal crackers in these snack catchers.  They allow Colin to just grab one at a time, without spilling things everywhere! 

This book:

It's called Heads, and it is great!  There are tabs to pull out and things to touch and feel - Colin will run to his bookshelf and grab this book all the time!  It's one of the few that he lets me read the whole way through =)

Sippy cup

We have tried many cups for Colin, and they all seem to leak.  But we haven't had a problem with this one (yet anyway!)  It locks closed, and even when he tosses it from his high chair it hasn't spilled!  Yay!

Diapers:

The Flip diapers!  That's right, I'm still cloth diapering!  And I still love it!  I haven't ventured out much with the brand, but I figured I like the Flips so why change things!  These have worked great for us, and because there is a seperate insert in them, they weren't hard to get used to.

Of course, there are lots of other things that we like, but those are the stand out ones =) 

Crock pot...

I love cooking with my crock pot.  I love it even more now that I have a child.  There is just something about the end of the day that makes Colin need all of my attention.  I can usually keep him occupied with something while I cook, but on the days that I have a meal in the crock pot, I can easily get a meal on the table without someone hanging on my leg =)

I am always looking for new (easy) crock pot meals.  I have found a few blogs, and I have a few cookbooks, but I have found that I plan my meals more around what I have on hand rather than going shopping for all new ingredients.  So, sometimes it's hard to find a new meal with things I already have.  If you have any you'd like to share with me, please do =)

Here are a few of my favorites:

-BBQ Chicken:
6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
12 oz bottle bbq sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Place chicken in crock pot.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cover.  Cook high 3-4 hours or low 6/8 hours.

-Chicken and Dumplings (I got this from my sister-in-law):
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 pkges biscuit dough (I use Pillsbury)

Place chicken, butter, soup and onion in crock pot, fill with enough water to cover (2 cans full).  Cover.  Cook on high 5-6 hours.  About 30 minutes before serving, place torn biscuit dough in slow cooker.  (don't stir!  I made this mistake before!)  Cook until dough is no longer raw in center.

- Chicken Parm (this is a favorite):
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 beaten egg
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheese
1 26 oz jar marinara sauce
1/2 lb spaghetti noodles
Place olive oil in crock pot.  In small bowl, whisk egg.  In another small bowl mix bread crumbs, parm, seasoning, salt and pepper.  Dip chicken into egg then coat with bread crumb mixture, then place in crock pot.  Top with marinara.  Cook on low 6-7 hours, high 3-4 hours.  Just before dinner, prepare pasta and add cheese on top of chicken mixture.

-Southwestern Chicken:
2 cans whole corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz jar chunky salsa, divided
3-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine corn, beans, and 1/2 cup salsa in crock pot.  Top with chicken.  Pour remaining salsa over chicken.  Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, high 3-4 hours.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and cook 5-10 more minutes until cheese is melted. 
I serve this over rice, but you can eat it alone.