February Random-ness

Hubs season opener is today! 

Based on the weather app on my phone - I had better have multiple layers on if I don't want to freeze! 

(I have no idea how baseball players manage the beginning  of the season in the Northern states...buurrrr)

Valentine's Day may be long gone, but I'm glad my candy held on a little longer! I've almost become addicted to these Dove - Strawberry Creme swirl milk chocolates. Its a good thing I can't find anymore at the store or I would be in big trouble...or should I say my waist line would be in big trouble!

Our winter here in NC has actually felt like, well, Winter. 

I'm not a fan of very cold weather, but there is nothing like a huge bowl of soup on a cold night. 

We've been making a weekly habit of putting Taco Soup on the menu. 

The Bronxster

I took this yesterday morning. I was trying to leave for work, but someone was not happy about having to get out of the bed. 

A huff and a puff and a long stretch later...he did manage to roll over and swat me away with his paw. 

If he could talk I'm pretty sure the caption to this photo would be - 

"You want me to do WHAT?" or maybe 

"Umm, maybe later. Okay? Thanks, bye."

Can You Claim A Name?

Background: I come from a mingled family. Its something I've always known and it works for us. My biological father is not the man I call, "Dad." My step dad became the man I look up to, the man who taught me to drive, shoot a gun, and scold me when I was late for curfew. He's my Dad.
My Dad is my little brother's biological father (some people would call him my half-brother, but I don't have that outlook on the situation) and they both share a last name that I never got to call my own. Carter.
I wouldn't say I've always wanted to be a Mom, I mean, I want to be a Mom, its just not something that I've been dwelling on my entire life. It wasn't my life-long dream to marry my husband and instantly begin popping babies out everywhere. Mom is also a title I'm not in a hurry to have. I've done a lot of soul searching over this whole "Mom" thing, and in the end I know in my heart that I'll wear that title when its my time, and I'll wear it proudly.



So, just because you aren't pregnant, or planning to become pregnant doesn't mean you can't pick out baby names, right? I sure hope so, because I've had my babies names picked out since I was a little girl. I'm pretty set on these names. Like...Set.In.Stone

 

 

Drum roll please.......

 



 

Boy: Carter

 

Girl: Paislee

(pronounced just like Paisley, alternate spelling to match my name)

Paisley is a name I gave to every single baby doll I ever owned! I LOVE this name. I, of course would adapt the original spelling to conform to the spelling of my name. Charles Lee was my great-grandfather and my Mother named me after him- combining his first name and last name to create a new feminine spelling - Charlee.

Carter of course is a family name. Often times women will use their maiden name as a first or middle name for their baby boy. I value that tradition and though I never carried the last name, Carter, I would hope that it would honor my Dad and my Brother by naming my son after them.

Now - here's the real question??
Can I claim these names and let everyone know about them and vow to hurt anyone who uses my baby names? I'm pretty sure the answer is no, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Although I have made it very clear at several family gatherings that these are my unborn children's names! Ha!

Here's the scoop -
My younger cousin just found out she is expecting. I'm so excited for her and her husband, really I am. I'm also so over-taken with anger that I can't see straight. My cousin is the daughter of my Dad's sister. So at some point in life my Aunt and my Dad both had the same last name - Carter.
Guess what baby names my cousin has been talking about??? Carter.

No - I am not pregnant, she is. I realize this. But just because she is the one actually having the baby, does that mean that she gets to take MY baby name?? Is this a first come, first serve style?
Lawd, help me now!

Ugh!

If you need me, I'll be downing bottles boxes of wine while trying to erase the name from my head that I've had picked out for my unborn child for 20+ years now....

Crack Potatoes

I called this recipe "crack" after my husband literally almost pouted when they were all gone and he has since requested them daily, with EVERY meal.

So the name was born by my husbands addictive actions to these heavenly little potato morsels. And the best part is...they are SUPER easy.


Crack Potatoes (original recipe)

2-3 large potatoes, washed, dried, and diced.
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 package of Onion Soup Mix



Preheat your oven to 450
Toss the diced potatoes in a glass baking dish and coat well with the olive oil and the soup mix.
Bake in a 450 degree oven for around 40 minutes.

**I'm not a good recipe follower. There is usually something that I change about all the recipes I find. Sometimes its just omitting seasonings to my taste or sometimes I just change it all together based on the ingredients I have on had. This is one of those recipes where you can make 10 pounds or 10 pieces - its so versatile.
For my version - its just me and the hubs at dinner, so 2-3 potatoes it just too much. Below is my alternate version of this recipe for two servings (hearty servings, remember these are like crack, so seconds are suggested)



My Version:

1 large potato, washed, dried, and diced.
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Onion Soup Mix (I saved the rest in a plastic storage bag for later this week)
1 tsp dried Parsley
1 tsp dried Oregano
2 tsp dried minced garlic (we like the extra garlic flavor these give)

Follow same cooking directions as above, however with only 1 potato, it doesn't take the full 40 minutes, unless you like very crispy potatoes.



They aren't the prettiest things to eat, but they sure are tasty!

Hey, Coach! Its February...

February is here! Don't remind me....
Could you hear the sarcasm in my title?

As I've made very obvious, I'm a coach's wife.

My husband coaches high school baseball, in a small town here in North Carolina.
My husband also coaches American Legion Baseball.

See a pattern here? My husband coaches a lot of baseball.

Although he technically only coaches two different teams, those teams have different seasons. Having two teams, with two different seasons, creates one very, very long baseball season....for me.

I love baseball. Its probably the one constant in our lives, when everything else is unpredictable.  Its also the one thing we can both completely agree on, watch together, and enjoy together. Its America's past time, its the signal that Summer is here. Its the one game that you can talk about with anyone in the world, literally.

That doesn't mean that baseball and I always see eye to eye.

You see, in February baseball season starts in our area. Try-outs, practices, scrimmages, and workouts take up the month of February to prepare for the new season. Want to know who runs all those try-outs, practices, scrimmages, and work outs? The Coach.

If you know me in real life, I've probably told you (more than once) that I'm only married for half of the year. I may have been joking around, but I wasn't kidding. Technically, I'm always married and have been since 10/9/10, but that doesn't mean that February through August, I feel like I am.

So here's to the new year, the new season, and the next 6 months where the only time I see my husband awake is when we're passing each other in the drive way or when the rain cancels a game. Its a crazy baseball life we live, but we love it!

Play ball!

Who's a dog?

Its no secret that Bronx is spoiled. 

I'm fully aware that I created a monster when I began treating Bronx more like a human "baby" than the puppy he really was. Hence, his nickname "The Bronxster"
 Its my fault he's so attached and trust me, when MY spoiled rotten little boy does something naughty - I hear about it. (I love you honey! ha!)

My husband sent me the picture above (which I then posted on Instagram - so some of you may have already seen the photo) last night, making sure to point out that our dog is so spoiled, he had to lay his head on the pillow and stretch out on the bed just like a human.

In my defense I would like to remind everyone (my darling husband included) that just a few weeks past Bronx's second birthday he had major orthopedic surgery on his left rear leg which left he and I sleeping in the floor on a mattress (Yep, that mattress is back on the floor again. This time its the other leg!) for a whopping 12+ weeks. During that time, I'm afraid my spoiled dog turned into a little monster!


I haven't been to the bathroom alone in 3 years.
I can't walk without him being under my feet.
He HAS to be touching me when he sleeps, if not laying on top of me in some strange way.
He WILL NOT wake his Dad up to go outside, only Mom.
I only worry about what he's doing when I CAN'T hear him.

Bronx is truly the toddler I never had. I didn't birth him. He's four legged, furry, and 100% canine.... but you can't tell him that.

Truth be told - I don't mind it. He might be spoiled to the core and he might be the biggest Mama's boy you've ever seen, but in my heart I know, as a dog, his time on earth is not long so I'll continue to cover him in kisses, play endless games of tug, and cherish his attachment to me, after all, isn't that why he's mine?