Here's Johnny!

If you have never seen The Shining, you will not get the title of this blogpost. If you have, please note that Little Philip's conniving smile in this picture was purely coincidental. We had Uncle Rob and Aunt Ellen over for dinner tonight which meant that Uncle Rob helped with bathtime. His "help" included some unnecessary influences with the bath crayons. He has officially been put on final warning.

Inquisitive minds

I have been cleaning the house lately, trying to find space for organization and, well, more space. I had an old beanie baby from a former boyfriend that Little Philip plays with from time to time. It always bugged me that the cute little beanie puppy had some history to it. The boyfriend's dog was caught chewing on the puppy's nose long ago and to this day, it bears the scars from that attack. Since Helen is chewing on anything and everything, my concern was that she would end up with stuffing down her throat when I turned my back one day. So Mama did what was best and put the puppy out of its misery.

Hey Mommy? Why is there a puppy in the trashcan?

Because he's falling apart, honey.

But why, Mommy?

He's just really old and it's time to throw him away.

But I want him to get better (sobbing).

The puppy stays.

Valentine's Day Recap

This lovely music is inspired by my loving husband of almost eight years, who, without a doubt, outdid himself for Valentine's Day. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions for our romantic menu. Here are the results.

The table was set with our fine linens, china, crystal, and silver.

The other lovely couple joining us for the night preferred a more casual style at either end of the table.

First and second course - Caesar salad with shrimp and green pepper quesadillas, grilled to perfection.

Main Course - Fillet Mignon wrapped in bacon centered with baby bella mushroom sauce and accompanied by french cut green and garbanzo beans. Notice the lighting changed to candlelight at this point.

Look at how he perfectly captured what a medium rare fillet is supposed to be.

Dessert - A total surprise not on the original menu- chocolate dipped strawberries with fresh sweetened whipped cream and chocolate fondue married with angel food cake and pretzels.

Here's my "come hither" face just before biting into my last strawberry before, well, you know...

...we went to watch the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, peppered with Princess Bride and the King and I during all commercial breaks.

Remember kids, a good marriage is all about give and take.

Pick Our Menu for Valentine's Day

Philip and I will be celebrating Valentine's Day in house this year, which is still very appealing considering my man is the grill master of all things meat and fishy. Today he handed me a beautifully printed menu and asked me to pick my three courses. We thought it would be fun to share and ask friends and family to pick our menu. It may seem a bit eclectic but hey, we are working with what food we already have or at least cutting down on what we have to purchase to make a romantic meal this year (with a three year old and almost one year old in tow). So what would you choose if you were me? Answer by Friday please!

Moss Valentine's 2009

Appetizer

Cheese Quesadilla
Crunchy Onion Rings
Main Course
*Comes with choice of house or Caesar salad, bread, and vegetables
Grilled Catfish on a bed of wild rice
Southwest Seasoned Catfish with pasta Alfredo
Filet Mignon topped with sliced, sautéed Portobello mushrooms and a savory brown sauce

Dessert
Grilled Pears and Brie drizzled with honey
Brownie with ice cream
Milk Shake- your choice of flavors

The Toy That Lasts

Most people know the basic premise of the Toy Story, a boy and his pull-string character, Woody. Woody struggles with Andy growing up, feeling neglected by Andy, or so Woody thinks.

Little Philip's nursery was decorated in a cowboy theme. One of his (and our) favorite gifts he received was a plush brown rocking horse. If you squeeze the left ear he whinnies, neighs, and clippety-clops. At the time, we wondered if Little Philip would ever love this horse as much as we did. When he first showed interest, he patted the horsey. Then, we would hold him on the horsey and rock him back and forth. Then, he did it all by himself. Now that he is all boy, he "rocks" through the house, falling off the horse, offering it carrots, and saying that the horse needs more gas. He will turn four this July and that horse is still a daily activity for him. Thank you, again, Miss Laura!