Saturday, July 31, 2010

Am I old now?


This is a picture of me.  It was taken in late June or early July.  It was taken before I had gray hair, or so I thought.  I was working at the salon yesterday and decided that rather wear my hair straight down, I would pull up some of the sides and pin it back with a sassy little bump at the crown.  You know what I'm talking about, kind of half up-half down.  Most of my hair is dark, I have highlights on top but underneath is dark brown. 

I am running my fingers through my hair, getting it pulled up just right and THERE. IT. IS.  On my left side right between my ear and my temple...the evil little strand, trying to blend it's way into my silky brown locks.  I looked at it, and again and I even did a triple take.  I then said to myself "Allyssa, it's not some random highlight, it's all alone."  The first step is admitting it right?  "It's your first gray hair."  I gently separated it from the 'good hair' and I studied it for quite some time.  Do I leave it there, do I pluck it, what if five grow back where there was once just that one?  You are a hairstylist, you know that's a myth...PULL IT OUT! 

And so I did and I sat there with it on my lap wondering what I should do with it.  Should I take a picture of it...proof that I really am aging?  Nah, I tried...my camera phone couldn't even pick it up on the screen.  Do I save it?  Hide it under my pillow in hopes of a gray hair fairy to come and take it from me and leave me with a promise that I wouldn't have anymore gray hair as long as I shall live?  Wait, I color my hair, I can make it disappear in a matter of minutes.  

And there I was, me and my little gray hair.  Who am I kidding, this thing was about 4 inches long!  Strong, course and thick up top, thin and wavy at the bottom.  There's no telling how long this thing had been growing and I'm just now noticing it!?!  Let me just say that I am glad I was alone when I found it, I was able to come to terms with how things are going to be from now on.  I used to be in the "I don't have any gray hair" category, now I've graduated to the "I found my first gray hair" category.

Dear friends, I am ok with this.  People live with gray hair all the time, people also live without gray hair as well.  It's time to embrace this aging thing.  I WILL!  I HAVE!

I WILL just HAVE to start coloring my hair more often!            

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The dinner that almost wasn't...Spaghetti Carbonara

I got up this morning and cooked a big breakfast for my kids since it was my day off from the salon: eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy.  I did double duty because I was also going to be using bacon in our dinner so I cut up the bacon for our DINNER into 1/2 inch pieces, breakfast bacon strips were cut in half. 

Camden, Channing and I headed outside to wash off all the shells we collected from vacation, which was not an easy task since there were literally pounds of shells!  I come back in and I walk into the kitchen and Chayce has eaten the 60 % of the DINNER BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  She didn't touch the breakfast bacon.  Later she told me that she ate the breakfast bacon because "it was cuter, because it was cut into little pieces."  I started freaking out.  You've heard of crying over spilled milk, this chick was crying over eaten bacon!  I haven't always been a think ahead, get-things-done-early, why wait till later when I can go ahead and do it kind of girl.  I used to be the exact opposite but one day I came to the realization that since I am a wife and mother of three I should do what I can when I can to save my sanity.  I thought I was doing fabulous cooking breakfast and tackling the tedious part of dinner as well.  Ok, enough ranting, sorry.

Anyway, this recipe calls for 8 slices of bacon, luckily I had three left and I ended up slicing up the breakfast bacon that was supposed to be eaten.  After all this, I believe the final dish had enough bacon in it.  Thank you Jesus.

Anyway, on to the yummy, DELICIOUS, and easy to make recipe, which I got off of a blog that I read called Let's Dish.  You can visit it here:    http://letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com/  

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 lb. spaghetti
8 slices bacon (cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup half & half  (I used fat free and it was still scrumptious)
salt & pepper to taste

Cook cut up bacon, drain fat and set aside.  While cooking spaghetti, in a separate large bowl whisk eggs, cheese and half & half.  Drain 98% of water off the pasta, leaving just a little bit of water. I left about 3 Tbs. worth. Working quickly, add pasta to egg mixture, the hot spaghetti will cook the egg, so don't worry about it being left uncooked.  Gently fold in bacon and season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

This was so yummy and easy to make.  My family enjoyed it and I will definitely be making it again.   


I completed the meal with some garlic bread and a salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Family Vacation, part 2


Channing's reenactment of Victoria in a scene from New Moon 

Brown-eyed girl

Blue-eyed boy


Me getting love from my monkey


Taking a break from the water



Chillin' at the pool

Chayce and James with their skim boards

Cam and Chayce jumping waves


A jellyfish...Chayce was our official jellyfish spotter 


Chan in her safe place...away from the water 



Monkey about to surf



Camden and his buddy


Chayce trying to pick up a pirate



Channing made a new friend



My half of a seafood plate that Chayce and I shared 




Shopping, this was an entrance to a store



James lifting Channing over the waves B.C.I. (Before Crab Incident)




My family




James and Chayce wave-jumping

The starfish I found floating around in the water
A little mother-son time on our last day  
Green-eyed girl

Monday, July 26, 2010

Family Vacation 2010, part 1







We trekked on down to Port Aransas, or 'Port A' as it is affectionately called by the locals.  It's a little beach town with a population of just over 3,000.  We were literally three blocks (a seven minute walk) from the beach.  It was really nice to get away and just relax.  It was Camden's first time to the beach too! 

On the ferry
We had to take a trip to Walmart to get some groceries, for this to be possible, you had to ride a ferry. Channing was scared to ride the ferry, panic attack #1.  Needless to say, when we had to ride the ferry on the way back, she wanted to get out of the car and soak it all in...that's my girl!

Day two: our first full day in Port A was f-u-n, we got out on the beach early.  I started building sand castles with the little ones and James and Chayce decided to jump some waves.  A couple of hours into our beach visit, it hits: panic attack #2.  Channing comes darting out of the water screaming and crying that a crab just grabbed her toe and starts yelling "Pick me up!!  Pick me up!!"  And that, my friends, was the end of Channing in the ocean above her ankle.

We were so centrally located that we walked many places, the souvenir shops, another grocery store, to get ice cream, a pizza place, the tattoo shop.  Yes, I said tattoo shop!!  Chayce has been wanting the cartilage in her ear pierced for some time.  I promised her that we would get it done on vacation as a treat to her.  She was scared half to death but she did it...didn't change her mind at the last minute, didn't cry or even cringe.  She even held my hand (her request) without even the tiniest little squeeze.

We had perfect weather the first two days and then scattered showers and a bit of clouds that moved along throughout the day.  We spent time at the beach and finished our days out at the pool which had Camden begging to go to bed by night's end.  Let me just say that our two little ones can be early risers, neither one woke up earlier than 8:45 the whole time we were there!         

I spent most of my time walking the beach searching for treasures, I even got Camden addicted to it.  Chayce and I even got some good quality time together just walking along the beach searching for shells.  I was extremely lucky, I found a whole sand dollar, a live starfish and a piece of coral, among at least a hundred shells, all shapes, sizes and colors.

We visited the cutest little candy shop called Winton's.  They had goodies for the kids, along with sour pickles, homemade fudge and the most wonderful, tasty, deliciousness known to man: homemade caramel with walnuts.  Would you believe that we made TWO trips to this place...we had to get some caramel for the trip home and pick up some for Mimi, caramel is her absolute favorite!     

James and Channing ended up getting sick on our last day there so that wasn't any fun...they missed out on enjoying one last day at the beach and of course it's no fun being sick.  We came back with some wonderful memories and some great tans!  LOL!!  I'm looking forward to going again!   

The kids at the entrance of the place we stayed
Outside of Winton's candy store
Camden by a palm tree just his size 
Daddy and Camden posing
I had to get a picture too
Yes, James is a mermaid and Chayce is a pirate
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Ready to get her piercing
"I think I'm ready"

Still needs her mom

Finally got it done

Almost sunset
The whole crazy bunch
Daddy and Cam headed to surf
Check him out...first time ever and he's already a pro
Having the time of his life, catching some gnarly waves
Catching some rays, sporting some braids
The castle 
Speaks for itself
Digging a hole
Fun at the pool...take 1
Fun at the pool, take 2...yes, I hold my nose 
This was a real hibiscus flower, just gorgeous 
Camden has turned into a fish, I call him Nemo
Shakes and ice cream and ice cream beards
Daddy and Camden doing their secret handshake in the ice cream shop

Jumping waves