Cousin Time, Daddy Time

Cullen has gotten to spend a lot of time with family over the last couple of weeks, and it makes me so happy. It also gives me even more reason to be excited about Cullen's upcoming birthday. He's going to have so much fun playing with his friends!

Cullen, James and I spent Monday and Wednesday evening last week with the Dement and Little families (minus Charly and Jarrod). Friday night, just James and Cullen spent time over there as I was out of town. Cullen is absolutely in love with Lauren, and he really seemed to enjoy watching the twins. They are a year older than Cullen, but the three of them are about the same size, and Cullen really went searching for their attention.

 Just for the record, Cullen is holding a flute (not a beating stick), and he did not hit the girls with it. By the same token, I can't promise that it never crossed his mind. He's really a sweet kid. I swear.

Cullen really enjoyed Stephanie, and Stephanie really seemed to enjoy making Cullen giggle. It's hard to not enjoy something like that. His laughter is so contagious.

The smile on the faces of all three here are so awesome. I love it.

On Friday night, it was James' responsibility to get Cullen's things together before heading to Sugar Land. He needed a milk cup, a Rupert (Cullen's lovey), diapers, and pajamas. I don't know about everything else, but James forgot the diapers. I can't complain. I'm queen of that. I'll remember spare everything and no diapers. Now I just keep a few in my purse for emergencies. Of course, my purse was with me, and I was not with my boys, so Cullen borrowed a pull up from his cousins. I hope the twins didn't mind him running around in pink undies. In true girl fashion, the pink pull up had princesses on it. My understanding is that Cullen kept pointing at the picture and saying, "Mommy!" The boy thinks I'm a princess, and I love it!

This week has been a little tough on my stress levels, but James did something really special earlier this week to buoy my spirits. After years of dancing for the Houston ballet in the Nutcracker, James got us tickets to go see it next month. I've danced in it plenty of times, but I've never seen it, and I am thrilled. I can't wait!

xoxo ashley

Cupcakes, Family, and More Cupcakes

Cupcakes have been consuming my life and my counters lately. I LOVE making cupcakes. Scooping out individual servings of batter to make sure they're all the same size, icing them, decorating them. It is almost soothing how well it goes. I love the consistency and creativity of baking. I love sharing my baked goods with others.

Friday night, I made 6 dozen cupcakes. 3 dozen for one birthday party, 1 dozen for another birthday, 1 dozen for James' office, and 1 dozen for a dinner we hosted on Sunday.

On Sunday, we had my parents, aunt, and uncle over for dinner. They spent the afternoon with us while we got to catch up, visit, watch football, and eat. It isn't a clear picture, but it was so nice to have these three guys together. I didn't get to have my uncle around until later in life, and we both really cherish our time together. It's so nice to be able to pick up where we left off each time as though no time has passed.

On Monday night, we went to James' aunt and uncle's house to see them and James' cousin and her kids. After Cullen's experience with all five of the Little kids, I can safely say that Cullen is not prepared for siblings. He seemed to enjoy observing more than playing, but he loved his play time with Stephanie. He is a lovable little guy, and I love seeing him spend this time with family.

I can't help but laugh at the below progression in pictures. I had the "brilliant" idea to get a picture of the six cousins together. The Little kids are used to the group photos. Cullen isn't really sure what to do. Lauren wanted to hold onto him for us, but he had other ideas. 

All six kids piled on the couch. Some smiles, some tears.  

Cullen finds an escape route and takes it. 

Cullen remembers that he has a puzzle in his lap while the other kids take pictures.

Look at my puzzle pieces...

Cullen tried to escape the frame on this one, but Peg caught them all with her camera. Granddad pointed out that Cullen is just keeping a respectful distance.

Last night was another four dozen cupcakes. 2 dozen for my office, 1 dozen for James' office, 1 dozen for the Little/Dement family. James had one for breakfast, but he's been my only taster so far. The ones for my office get opened in a couple of hours. I can't wait to see how they go!

xoxo ashley

The Winds Of Change

Cullen is supposed to be "graduating" again next week. I swear he "graduates" every couple of months. It's great for him developmentally. He moves up to the next class at school when his skills develop to a certain level. He is consistently moving up at a rapid pace, and he loves all of his teachers. I don't like it, because it's another reminder that he is growing up a little too fast for my liking.

I don't know of many moms that wish for things to go faster. I would totally judge a parent for saying such a thing. I realize that we haven't exactly hit the teenage years yet, but I can't imagine ever asking for less time ahead of me with my child. Three of Cullen's teachers asked this morning when we were going to have another baby. I'm too busy enjoying the one I have! I'm not saying never, but there's no need to cramp our style just yet.

Cullen is our in-home super hero. He is always climbing onto things, jumping off of things, falling down, and repeating. Last week, Scout helped Cullen fall down the stairs. I felt sure that it might cure him of the jumping habit, but I was way off. With blood pouring from his nose, Cullen stood up, kicked Scout, and yelled, "Bad dog!" Not a tear shed.

Cullen the Couch Jumper

Cullen is in love with cows. He loves to point them out. He loves to moo at them. In an effort to earn my position as favorite parent, I bought Cullen a little plush cow from Chick Fil A. It was his favorite toy for all of five minutes. Then the director of his school gave him a book about trucks. Cow is a little further down the list now.

Smells like nuggets...

Last night, we had our neighborhood girls night. I always love getting together and visiting. Even though we all live so close, we are hard pressed for visits. It's so nice to just catch up and snack. Most of the time we are sharing good news and funny stories, but last night a neighbor shared a story that was so sad for me. She and her husband made the decision to put their house on the market. I know it's the right decision for their family, but it makes me sad.

This weekend, I am making cupcakes for little Hadley's birthday party. I'm thrilled and honored to have the opportunity, and I feel so blessed that Amy trusts me with this one. In the next week, I have 7 dozen cupcakes that will go out. My little business is growing. Thanks for the orders and the prayers! Without them, I might not get to do what I love!

xoxo ashley

100 Posts...

 I follow so many blogs. I love reading about what other people have going on, baking ideas, and craft projects. Of course, I've seen a lot of blogs cross a lot of milestones. I feel like 100 posts should be a pretty good milestone for me. A little pat on the back to me for sticking to the whole blogging thing. Not only have I stuck to it, I have fallen in love with being able to look back at the pictures and know where we've been.

Last week was busy with Scout orders and family time. I started out with some birthday cupcakes (peanut butter chocolate). They were probably the prettiest cupcakes I've made to date.

A girl in my office ordered these precious ones for Race for the Cure.

On Sunday, we took Cullen out to Dewberry Farms to pick out our family pumpkins for the fall and play with the animals. I think Cullen will enjoy Dewberry a lot more a few years from now, but it was still fun to pet all of the animals and feed the goats. He especially loved "riding" the pig statue. 

Cullen and Daddy with our pumpkin family.

We are now heading into the weekend without James, as he'll be spending a weekend with friends to celebrate Royce's bachelor party. I think my weekend will involve naps, pajamas, and not leaving the house.

xoxo ashley

Renaissance Woman

Another day, another dollar, another week gone by.

James spent last weekend in Alice at his company's hunting lease. It was a long weekend, and Cullen and I missed him, but we made the most of it. While collecting pictures for this week's post, I found one more precious picture from James and Cullen's zoo trip. James took Cullen on the train through Hermann Park. Cullen looks a little pensive, but I hear he enjoyed it.

On Friday night, my friend Megan came over and stayed the night. While James was out of town, I was set to run Beachpalooza with my friend Courtney. After my last 5k, I swore I would never run again. I lied. My knees hate me. I really have to stop mistreating them.

Megan and I stayed up late talking and then got up early to hit the road for Galveston. Megan was such a trooper with Cullen. She kept an eye on him while I ran. Without her, my Beachpalooza participation would not have been possible. 

 

Courtney with me and Cullen before the race 

Cullen adores Megan. I wish his face showed it...

My race time was not great. I don't even want to admit it. Somewhere between my knees and the sand, it was a pretty big disappointment, but I completed the course.  

Cullen Post-Race Enjoying My Water And Banana

Cullen slept the whole way home, so Megan and I got to visit more. Cullen was re-energized when we got home, so he spent some time playing in my car in the garage. Further proof that Cullen and Scout are best friends is their driving status. Scout is totally Cullen's co-pilot. When he's "driving" is the only time Scout doesn't get car sick.

Navigating The Garage Together

 On Monday, I decided to take on my first Pinterest project. The one online showed this super-easy project involving a wooden letter, a moss sheet, and a glue gun. No big deal. If you don't count the burned fingers and moss in my silverware drawer, it wasn't a big deal. I just love knowing that I made it. I feel so accomplished. Doesn't take much, does it?

Yesterday, I had lunch with Shadow. It's always great to catch up with a good friend, and I always feel compelled to mention our lunch dates, because she told me she "feels famous" when I mention her on the blog. She might be giving the blog too much credit, but I appreciate it. And I appreciate her. :)

As life has gotten busier with us no longer carpooling, I have gotten out of the habit of cooking every night. I hate that it has happened, but I think it was a little bit inevitable. Luckily, I have found some new recipes that have really given me a yearning for some kitchen time. Following a couple of nights of crock pot dinners, last night was a leftover night. With our leftovers, I made homemade mac and cheese. So easy and delicious! Tonight, I'm testing out a shrimp pasta with a tomato cream sauce. That also incorporates a test to see how Cullen tolerates shellfish. Who knows if he'll eat it...

Last night, James and I finally watched Bridesmaids. It wasn't nearly as funny as I expected, but I definitely laughed a lot. There is one thing I'm curious about. I had 6 bridesmaids. How is it that not a single one of them came up with the idea to give out puppies in berets as party favors? None of you? Really?

xoxo ashley

Healing and Helping

The past week has been even busier than usual. We're moving to a new system at work, so I've spent upwards of 30 hours in training. Home life is it's normal level of busy, plus my mom has had two surgeries. Two successful surgeries!

Last Thursday, the doctors at MD Anderson successfully removed all of the melanoma from my mom's face. On Monday, they completed her first skin graft to get her on the road to recovery. I know it has been a lot of work for all of us and discomfort for my mom, but we are all pretty happy to know that this is behind us for now.

On Saturday morning, we went out to investigate the train sale at Toys R Us. While there, we discovered that James' mom still has all of his train stuff from when he was little. We left Toys R Us empty handed (except for an influx of Hot Wheels), because we want to see what we have coming to us before we buy anything else. It sounds like a couple of cars might be needed, and we'll be done!

After our shopping fun, we decided to take Cullen to Freebirds for lunch. He ate a huge cookie and a quesadilla. Most importantly, he sat through the entire meal. I can't remember the last time that happened. It was a fast meal, but it was still really nice to eat in one sitting.

Saturday night, we left Cullen with a sitter (gasp!) and attended a wedding. Cullen did great, and we had so much fun with our friends. The reception was at River Oaks Country Club, and I have never seen such an incredible wedding. It didn't change my mind about liking weddings, but it was still amazing to see. From the wax seals on EVERYTHING, to the personalized dinner menus, to the champagne diva, it was impeccable. Best wishes to the bride and groom. I hope their married life is just as beautiful!

For the first time in forever, James wore a suit. I got a picture for proof. Somewhere in the evening, we also took a picture together. I have no idea where that one is.

I got up early Sunday morning to spend some time with my mom and check in on things. She was doing incredibly well. When I got there, she was waxing the floors. She is somewhat unfamiliar with the idea of resting after surgery.

As almost anyone knows, my mom loves her poodles. She'll even admit to liking them better than her actual children. Thanks, Mom. Her brother knows this, so he requested a poodle made out of carnations for her flower arrangement. The idea would never have crossed my mind before this, but I thought it was just hilarious!

We spent Sunday afternoon watching football, reading the newspaper, making cookies, and spending time with friends. I loved it when Cullen sat down next to me while reading the paper. He pulled the Toys R Us ad out of the stack and "read" quietly for a while. He seems so certain that he's a grown up these days.

I want this and this and this. Thanks.

Little Texans Fan

Because I get plenty of sleep and have lots of spare time (ha), I decided to make some cookies to thank a friend for all of her help while my mom was in the hospital. I tested a new recipe for turtle cookies, and they were an absolute hit. I think they will be making a debut on the Scout menu pretty soon. 

Most importantly, Cullen and Scout approved. How could anyone not love cookies full of chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Yum yum.



On Monday, I was still reeling from the lack of sleep and knowledge that Mom's surgeries are over for a little bit. I made a very important plan to go to bed by 9pm. Shortly after that, I received my first referral order for Scout. Two dozen triple lemon cupcakes needed for Tuesday. I couldn't turn down the order, so I wound up staying up til 11 making cupcakes and ironing James' work shirts. I showed up to work on Tuesday with jaundice hands from all of the lemon and food coloring, but I have a new, happy customer. It's so exciting to see my little business growing! Sleep isn't that important, right?

xoxo ashley

Zoo Time

This weekend, we have a black tie wedding to attend. Part of me is excited about going to River Oaks Country Club. The other part of me hates weddings. I firmly believe in marriage, but I do not enjoy weddings.

Of course, I needed a new dress for this black tie wedding, so I made plans with two of my girl friends to go shopping on Saturday morning. I started out early spending some time reading at Starbucks and enjoyed the peace and quiet. After an excess of shopping and a couple of new pair of shoes, we all managed to find new dresses.

While I was out shopping, James decided to take Cullen to the zoo with Joey and Myles. This was James' first solo outing with Cullen. I wasn't worried about how James would handle the outing, but I was worried about what Cullen might do to James. The boys did great and had a wonderful time. I might need to start scheduling these outings more often!

When Cullen got up from his nap, we loaded back into the car for a trip to the Woodlands. One of James' clients is a really great little grocery store called Hubble & Hudson. It is incredibly small and packed with so many items you can't find anywhere else. Being the foodie I am, I had the best time walking up and down the aisles. We will be going back before Cullen's birthday. I've already come up with a fun menu. :)

Scout (my little bakery) has really taken off. I've been having so much fun making cookies and cakes for others. My most exciting order so far has been for one of my best friend's daughter's birthday party. I'm thrilled that she trusts me with something so important!

I made a practice round of cookies this weekend. Hadley's cookies have to be perfect! Cullen really appreciated my efforts, and that makes me appreciate him even more!

xoxo ashley