Hello?? Is anyone out there?

It's been so long since I've blogged, I thought I'd at least ask. :)

Remind you, school has started....hence the no bloggy. Then Grace, playing a Barbie computer game, innocently clicked "yes" to a mad virus attack on our home computer. No bueno. My laptop is at the school, and requires way to much arm space to carry home each night.......so no blog unless the daddy brings his laptop home. Which was tonight. : ) He loves me hogging it.

I must, must start off by sharing a few pics of my 8 month old. Yes, 8 months! My sweet Sophers. We just love her. Every afternoon, Grace and I race to her "school" to rescue her and then resign to sit on my bed for the next 45 minutes and just hug, love, and laugh at her. She eats it up. She crawls now.....pretty fast, too. She doesn't babble much, but when she does, it's usually after I've just put a large amount of food in her mouth. She's a bit stubborn (like her momma), but we think we'll keep her. She's just so darn cute!

8 months!

Grace loves kindergarten. Someone told me that she'd just be "exhausted" after a day at school, but nope. Not mine. She's running on 100% before, I'm sure during, AND after school. No down time for me! Just the other weekend, I spent......oh maybe 10 minutes? with her sitting down, showing her the "one bunny ear" method to tying shoes. I was for sure this session wouldn't amount to much, but low and behold, not two days later was she tying her own shoes - in record time, no doubt. I was amazed. I'm a teacher......I should know better than to put limits on one's abilities!

Here's a few pics from her first "parade". The primary school's "Patriot Day" parade....she barely even looked at us when she walked by!

"Can you spot Grace?"

And finally, we've had our first cold snap here in East Texas. I, of course, dressed Grace in shorts that day. Fitting. : ) When I got home after work, I quickly put on my flannel pajamas and thought of the nice Fall weather to come. I heart FALL! It makes me want to cook.....stews, soups, cornbread. The good stuff.

Seeing how I have exactly 30 minutes (Sophie's late day naptime) to make dinner each night for my starving "lunchtime at 11am" daughter and starving "I'm playing quarterback with kids twice my size" hubs, I have to plan ahead or cook something quick. This soup recipe is a favorite, borrowed from my college roomate, Holly, and it makes you feel like you cooked. : ) It's on rotation at our house quite a bit in the Fall and Winter.

1 large can cooked chicken, drained
1 can cream corn
1 can Campbell's soup tomato juice
1 can veg all
1 can chicken broth
onion powder, salt, pepper
simmer on medium/low for 20-30 minutes
mix w/a side of sweet cornbread

I hope I blog again soon......Happy Fall Ya'll!