On a "Rampage"

It has been so sweltering hot in St. Louis that we haven't really been able to do a lot of outdoor activities.  This past Monday, though, it was only supposed to be 85 so I decided to put our season passes to use and I took the kids to the zoo.

As soon as we walked through the entrance, there was a sign set up saying that the St. Louis Rams were going to unveil their new mascot at 11am.  We arrived about 10:45 so there was going to be a 15 minute wait.  I asked Kanin if he wanted to stick around for it and he did so we waited.

Finally at about 11:08, we saw the new mascot, "Rampage" appear above the sea lion waterfall.

After his initial appearance, Rampage ran out into the crowd and right over to us.  Kanin was SO EXCITED!!  It definitely made it worth standing in the scorching heat.

It's Very Important

that you learn how to multi-task at a very early age.

Now That I'm a Big Boy . . .

I want some real food.  How about some turkey and some mostaccioli?

We'll see how I like it . . .

this stuff isn't half bad!

Caleb had his 1 year check-up today.  He weighed 25.4lbs, was 30.1 inches long and had a head circumference of 18.5cm.  He was in the 75% for weight and 58% for height. 

The doctor told me that I could start him on regular table food and start weaning him off the bottle.  I'll definitely do the table food but probably hold off on the bottle for a bit.  He will only be a baby for a little bit longer and I'm gonna hold on to every minute!  Tonight he had his first dinner of table food, deli turkey and mostaccioli.  He seemed to like it but was a little confused by it, I think.  LOL

Book Review: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either

Heather Mills is a residence hall coordinator who has suddenly found herself in charge of "Death Dorm".  The second in a series of three (so far), Size 14 Is Not Fat Either is a funny murder mystery in which Mills stumbles across a murder of one of her residences-again-and sets out to find the murderer.

The author, Meg Cabot, writes in a way that is witty and sarcastic but, at times, I felt like the jokes came too easily and were predictable.  As the heroine is a past-her-prime pop star who has put on a few extra pounds, it felt like there a bit too many references to food and her being fat.  While I could relate to some of the scenarios described, they just became a bit predictable.

I did not realize when I checked this book out that it was part of a series (#2) so now I will have to go back and find the first and third ones.

This was a quick, easy, fun read and I would recommend it.

Just a Couple Obsessions

I have a couple of obsessions outside of my family and the St. Louis Cardinals.  I wish that I could find a way to combine all of them into a part-time job but, for now, I haven't figured it out.

I love food.  Love, Love, Love food.  I don't just love eating food, I love the colors of food.  I love smells of food.  I love watching cooking shows.  I love the presentation of food.  I just love food.  Food is so personal and so intimate.  It is what sustains and gives us life.  When I cook for my family, I know that I am, in essence, giving them life over and over again. 

I have found a way to take my passion for food and channel it with my food blog, Meals For Real.  It definitely is not a site for gourmet food, just normal family-style recipes and step-by-step instructions on how to make them.  I have no grandiose ideas when it comes to the blog.  I have set some ads up on it and I do get paid when people click on them but I'm not expecting my little hobby to pay the mortgage.  It has just become a good outlet for me and a way for me to experiment. 

I am also obsessed with Las Vegas.  My first trip to Vegas was in December 2006 and I have been hooked ever since.  The only word that I can use to describe Vegas is energy.  No matter what time of day, no matter what day of the week there is always something is going on. 

When I was growing up I would hear Vegas referred to as "Sin City" and I guess that could be true.  For me, though, it is a place where Scott and I can go and just have fun.  No worries of home.  No screaming kids.  We can sleep all day and get up and go eat at a 5 Star Restaurant at 11:00pm without having to look for a babysitter.  We can go sit on the street and people watch or we can go lay by the pool.  We can see our favorite band or a Broadway musical.  We can shop at designer shops or we can buy stuff from a street vendor. 

The light, the sounds, the hustle and bustle.  I love it all.  I think I love it because it is so different from my day-to-day life that I feel like a different person when I'm there.  I guess this is why that I spend a lot of time searching for cheap airline flights to get me back there.  There is just something about Vegas that I can't get enough of.

One of my favorite things to do in Vegas is to check out new restaurants.  I love going to famous chefs' places or unique hot spots or hole in the wall local hangouts.  I actually started another blog after eating at some great places in Vegas.  Where April Eats is a place where I talk about the different restaurants in different cities that I have eaten at and some of my favorite foods. 

You would think that Vegas and Disney World have absolutely nothing in common but that is not so.  In my mind, Vegas is the adult Disney World-LOL.  A coupe of years ago we took our first real family vacation and it was to Disney World and I have been hooked ever since.  No lie, the night we got back from that trip in 2008, I was on the internet planning out our next trip.  It has taken a couple of years, and an extra kid, but we are going back in September and I can't wait!

When we are at home I can honestly say that I am the "hard" one when it comes to bed times, too many sweets and treats, etc. but when we were at Disney, it was like all of the uptightness just melted away.   I let the kids eat dessert first.  I let them get candy and ice cream during the day.  I let them stay up as late as they want.  I let them pretty much do anything they want because we were at Disney World, "Where Dreams Come True."

The best thing about Disney was literally seeing the "magic" in the kids' eyes.  One of my favorite memories of our first trip was at Hollywood Studios and we saw the Power Rangers.  Kanin was so into the Power Rangers at the time, especially Red Ranger Jack, and when we saw them he was ecstatic.  I was literally crying and jumping up and down in excitement for him.  It sounds so silly but it was so sweet.  I can't wait until this time when Gracie has a princess make-over and we get to have lunch with the princesses.  I'm sure I will be crying again.

Disney World also let me try tons of new restaurants, which I loved!  My favorite by far is the German Biergarten at Epcot but they were all fantastic.  Epcot is such an awesome place.  All of the different countries with so many cool, authentic places to eat.  It is so authentic that within each country at every shop and restaurant, the people who work there are actually from that country.  So cool.  I'm sure that after this next trip, I will have plenty of entries to add to my Where April Eats blog.

So I wish there were some way for me to combine these passions.  Scott told me to get my travel agent's license but I think the market for travel agents has come and gone.  I have helped quite a few people plan both of their Disney and Vegas vacations with places to go, places to eat suggestions and I love doing that so who knows what will become of it.  For now, though, I will be content to plan my next destination and next place to eat.

Stop the Madness!

Do you ever get a song in your head that you CANNOT get out?  You sing the song over and over and over.  Well, apparently, this has happened to Kanin and Gracie because they have been singing this song for weeks!

Click on the link below:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ccvVhLcFw

Women, Food and God

Has anyone read this book?  Interested in having a little book discussion?