April Showers

It's been raining and gross out all day, but so warm (50s!). I hate how the warmest days are wasted on bad weather. Luckily we didn't have all the tornado warnings that my friends and family in Tennessee had, though! I guess mother nature decided we've had enough after winter. Good thing, too!! Yesterday the boys and I drove out to Syracuse to pick Jason up from the airport. He drove his car down to my folks' house so we won't have to haul it on the moving truck, and flew back from there.

Riley pooped out as soon as we hit the interstate. James stayed up for Toy Story on the dvd player. [Have I mentioned how much I loooove the portable dvd player?]Also--the black spot on his nose is where he scratched at it during the bouts of runny noses this past week :(

The boys were thrilled to see their daddy again and we took him out to Olive Garden for lunch. He had a 4-day weekend, so he got to stay home during this rainy day and we spent it packing boxes. The house is looking so naked! I can't wait to just be in our new home in Georgia, sitting in our backyard, everything unpacked and pictures up on the walls, just enjoying ourselves!

Even in the monotony of packing, there's never a dull moment around here! We were packing boxes upstairs and the boys were in the playroom. James was setting up his train tracks and did a really big, intricate layout of them. Just as he was finishing up, Riley (godzilla) stomps over and starts breaking them apart. James, being a little obsessive compulsive starts freaking out on him and yelling at his dad and me to "make baby stop!" Riley finds something else to play with and James sets them up. A little while later, he's almost finished fixing the tracks when Riley starts toward him again. All of a sudden we here from across the hall, "DON'T eefer FINK about it!" We about fell over laughing!

After a week/end of being sick and Jason being gone, diet and exercise has gone by the wayside. So, this next week, it's on! I will be lazy no more! Less junk food, more running.

Today's Recipe: Minestrone Soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced thinly

1 can red kidney beans, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped coarsely

3 tbs vegetable base

2 1/2 cups water

1 tbs italian seasoning

1/2 tsp herbs de provence

1/2-1 cup medium shell pasta

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

simmer 30 minutes (add the pasta in the last 15 minutes and the spinach in the last 5 minutes).