The Latta Family

I have a birthday coming up in a few weeks.  I am not telling you this, to solicit birthday wishes.  I don't post my birthday on Facebook, because I don't like to have a big deal made out of my birthday.  There are only 2 people allowed to make a big deal out of my birthday- my mother and Doug.  However, Doug can't make too much of a big deal.  It's a slippery slope he walks at birthdays, and there are very few times he gets it just perfect.  Not because he's a flunky, but because I am a pain in the arse (as if I would be anything less).  There are unspoken rules, but if he were a good husband he would know what I want done for my birthday. See- he has to know the exact amount of effort I want him to put into the occasion- without me telling or indicating in any way what I want.  And, the effort I expect changes from day to day, mood to mood.  Sometimes I want a nice dinner out without children- to a good restaurant and I want a good des...

Now that we've had Gracie for almost 2 months, we're starting to really get to know her personality.  She's definitely got some quirks.  (I can't imagine what kind of quirks she's observed about Doug, Andrew, and Alexa!)  One that cracks me up, is she's a social eater.  If we don't stay in the kitchen with her, she won't eat her food.  If we're all at home, we all have to be in the kitchen too.  Just having me, or one of the kids in there with her, is not enough.  We all have to be with her.  Another odd quirk, we've noticed is, she's a big ole' scaredy . . . dog.  The first time I noticed, was on a walk.  (In her defense, most of her walks happen in the dark.  Maybe she's just afraid of the dark?)  There on the side of the road was a . . . . chair.  She was slinking along behind me, while I practically dragged her by that big, scary chair.  The next night, the same thing.  Thankfully the trash was collect...

Over Christmas Break, a friend pointed out that if Alexa is able to bring me her diaper changing supplies, and say, "I need my diaper changed."  she might be ready to be potty trained.  I won't lie, I was surprised.  She's younger than Andrew was.  I thought about it, but didn't do anything about it.  Then one night she and I went to Target, where I bought myself some new underwear (you know I live excitement if I buy my drawers at Target.  Poor Doug, he has a boring wife).  Well, she had to have some underwear herself.  She picked out Minnie Mouse pink underwear.  I called my mother on the way home.  I was sad.  I just bought my baby big girl underwear.  As soon as we got home, we had to put that underwear on.  Yes.  I put unwashed, but packaged, underwear on her.  She wore it 10 minutes and peed everywhere.  However, it was a starting point.  It took her about a week and a half and then sudd...

I don't think I've ever written about a baking/cooking before, but there's always a first.  My life is better because of Pinterest!!!!  Seriously!  The person or people that invented Pinterest are simply genius.  I wonder, periodically when I will get tired of it, but I haven't.  Today I tried out something that is sure to improve my life and Andrew's lunches!  Did you know that if you soak apples in water with a little bit of salt, they do not get brown?!!!  Seriously!  They don't.  For real.  They don't.  I've had these Galas (which I feel brown more easily than others) in this container of water with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt for over and hour, they're not brown, they don't taste weird, they're not slimy, icky, or gross.  They're apples.  And I am dipping them in this lovely peanut butter dip I also got from Pinterest.  I wouldn't exactly say it's healthy, but . . . it's not terribly unhealthy.  I used 1 cup of...

It's been awhile, since my last post. I'm sorry.  We've been busy!  Well, Alexa's been busy.  She turned into a big girl, almost over night.  She's pretty much potty trained, talks almost always in sentences (even when she's screaming at her brother, "I DON'T LIKE DAT!" and she moved into her big girl bed last night.  I won't lie, on the surface I am excited.  I got to make her a new bedspread and it was super fun.  We got to clean out her room a bit- again super fun.  Her excitement over her big girl bed is super cute.  But deep down, it's not fun.  It's sad.  Procedures have been taken to prevent more children.  Should I win the lottery tonight and suddenly no longer have to work, well I would tell Doug to head to the bedroom, we got to get on it!  I'm 37, I got to hurry up and squeeze in one more baby before I'm too old (too old to physically and emotionally be a good parent).  However, we don't buy lotter...