Admiraby Andrew

Acorn Squash with Quinoa

2011-02-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

He has a tree nut allergy.

I am Celiac.

So...I often make up recipes {grin}

Here is one of my favs...

Brush halved squash with a mixture of 1 tbs of melted butter and 2 tbs brown sugar. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon. Arrange cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30 mins at 350.

{I usually add an extra 10 mins face up at the end and sometimes skip the butter/sugar mixture all together and just add cinnamon.}

Take casing off two links of the apple chicken sausage {purchased at Sprouts meat counter} and cook in skillet much like ground beef. When cooked, set aside to drain on paper towel.

Sautee spinach {as much as you like} and garlic {maybe two cloves} in a little olive oil.

Boil one cup of water, one cup of orange juice, and one cup quinoa together. Once this comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until quinoa is cooked. Season cooked quinoa with salt and pepper if you like. Stir in the veggies and sausage. {I often add dried cranberries to the mixture as well}

Stuff each squash halve with the quinoa mixture and enjoy! :)

Did you know...

Quinoa is recognized as a good source of complete protein .
Acorn Squash are relatives of both the melon and the cucumber families.
Acorn squash are rich in phytonutrients, which help the body get rid of toxins and may help prevent cancer.

Weekend Recap

2011-01-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a pretty quiet three day weekend. It was awfully gloomy and C.O.L.D!

Thursday we visited our sweet neighbors and their ever expanding *petting zoo.

{*So there are really only a few animals to actually pet but you know what I mean ;)}

Andrew enjoyed being pulled behind Reagan's new scooter and playing in their ~~ice sculpture~~ frozen water fountain.

{Andrew thought it was hilarious that this lion looked like he had a snotty nose!}

{Please note the pink and purple accessories ;) We really should invest in Winter attire but it's hard to justify when it is "snowy" once a year! The gloves and helmet (for the scooter ride) are borrowed from sweet Reagan.}

Saturday's grim weather didn't damper Andrew's day!

We headed to Gatti Town with Jake and Mrs. Lori, what a treat! He sure seemed to enjoy the bumper cars! ;)

{Waiting in line for Bumper Cars!}

Bumper Cars! {Pardon the poor quality pics!}

Beating Jake at Air Hockey ;)

Can you tell he had a blast??

Monday was a school holiday so we picked up Raygan (a little girl I watch occasionally) and headed off to visit our dear friends The Orton's. Here's their new babe Elijah

lounging around :)

We ended the day with dinner at The Wilson's.

Weekends like this remind me of how truly blessed we are! :)

2011-01-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday looked like this...

Today was just plain cold and not as pretty but that didn't stop Andrew from having a little fun!

After school Andrew spotted a rather large icicle hanging from our house.

He decided there was only one thing to do!

Why, knock it down with a hockey stick of course!

{Notcie my front door WIDE open!}

Boy's will be boys! ;)

Officially...

2010-08-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

A SECOND Grader! :)

{And just for fun...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmPQeEVvesc&feature=channel}

An attempt

2010-07-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

As we all know I am the world's WORST blogger but due to many requests from far away friends and family I will do my best ::cough cough:: to keep you all in the know on the happenings and humorous proclamations and narratives of The Andrew Mitchell.

An Andrew epigram:

Me: "Bubbah your eyes are looking a bit red."

Andrew: "I know, my head is already asleep."

HAHA

And BOY does this boy love his sleep! :)

1st Grade Rodeo

2010-05-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

What's in a name...

2010-05-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

"HE looks great!" The words echoed about the room as I listened to a strong heartbeat on the monitor.

A boy.

A baby boy.

What will he look like?

How big will he be?

What kind of personality will he have?

What will I name him?!?!

A name is important.

Often the first thing you learn about someone.

An important and BIG task.

Nickolas. Ryan. Adain. Caleb.

Names swirled about my thoughts.

I'd decided on Caleb Andrew {or so I thought}

Caleb means faith...devotion...I loved the name.

Andrew after a dear friend who impacted my life in a major way...who'd recently passed away.

And then HE came swiftly into this world...and HE wasn't a "Caleb"...the name didn't fit him and so I was back to square one!

I loved the name Andrew. It suited him well.

Andrew

A Strong Man. Brave. Courageous. Manly. Warrior.

He still needed a middle name.

I heard the name Mitchell while in still in recovery...it sounded strong and slightly uncommon.

Mitchell

One Who is Like God.

December 10th 2002, mid-morning Andrew Mitchell came quickly into this world. Beautiful. Healthy. A sweet sweet blessing.

Wordless Wednesday [via Andrew's photography skills]

2010-05-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's official...

2010-01-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

I'm a HORRIBLE blogger!

So the plan is to:

...update you {all 3 of you readers! ::grin::} on life...
...tell you about our amazing Thanksgiving...
...make a birthday party post...
...fill you in on Christmas...
...have Andrew write a post or two {after all it is HIS blog ;)}

But for now:

Birthday boy...

2009-12-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

My sweet boy you are seven years old today!
Seven!
I am nearly speechless...{nearly.} ;)
It seems like yesterday you burst into this world {quickly I might add!} and were placed on my chest with that head full of dreamy dark hair. My whole world as I knew it forever changed that day and I am so grateful; so very thankful.

Seven years ago today as I attempted to prepare myself for your arrival I had no idea the blessings in store! Who knew so much wisdom could come in such a small package! I am daily thankful for you in my life!

You, my sweet son, have taught me so much. You are kind, encouraging, forgiving, and such a beautiful spirit. You know no stranger. You are empathetic and always a helper. You are strong and gentle. You are quick to admit mistake and always loving despite others short comings. Son, I desire to be more like you. Even as a young boy you are such a vision of Christ. You are faithful and bold. You are approachable and direct. You are a light.

You have taught me how fleeting time is!
I will so cherish the memories past, the moments now, and the days ahead.

A few of your {current} favorite things:
PEOPLE!
You know no stranger and love meeting new people. You are blessed with many friends.
Family and Friends
You love just be at home with mom or dad but just as well enjoy the company of your many friends {of all ages I might add!}
School and Church
You enjoy science the most and your class experiments. You have an inclination toward art and music as well. You look forward to every Sunday and love to soak in the stories and lessons of our Savior.
Sports
Soccer {watching or playing}
UT Football
The Cowboys {you are no fair-weather fan!}
Toys
LEGOS!
your Ninetendo DSi
puzzles and board games
and more LEGOs!
Foods
Spaghetti
"baby" oranges
carrots and hummus
fish
Just about anything..."except tomatoes"
Color
blue
Movies/Television
ELF
Alvin and the Chipmunks
The Sandlot
{...you don't watch TV at mom's house ;)}
Things to do
Feed the ducks
Read books at Barnes and Noble
Go with Mom to Starbucks for chocolate milk
Go with Dad to soccer practice
Go to movies
Play with LEGOs
Hang out with friends

Lately you've...
...begun to spell and read. It is such a JOY to see you grow!
...lost your two front teeth!
...shared your lunch with a classmate who forgot there's.
...gone to the beach.

Happy Birthday precious boy! You are dearly and greatly loved.

Pumpkin Granola Bars

2009-11-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

{I am so far behind on posts! Little man wants to show off his Halloween costume and I cant wait to unpack some neat happenings from Thanksgiving...but for now...a new favorite recipe :)}

Mr Andrew LOVES pumpkin and granola bars and with his allergy to tree nuts it's tough to find treats with no nuts so we made our own and they were GREAT! :)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp molasses
2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
{I added milled flaxseed, chopped peanuts {yes he can eat them! :)}, and a hand full of raisins}

Optional add ins:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp shredded, unsweetened coconut

Directions:
Blend the pumpkin, egg, butter, honey, and molasses in a mixing bowl or food processor.
Add the oats, cinnamon, and extras; mix well.
Spread this mixture into a lightly greased jelly-roll type of pan.
Bake in a 350*F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into bars.
For very crisp bars, remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

Guess who...

2009-10-24T07:56:00.001-07:00

is home bound!?!?

Update #2

2009-10-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

The CT showed nothing significant (surprise surprise) so more tests will be done once he is well. His respiratory therapist started CPT today to help manually break up his clogged lungs. You may remember the VEST from earlier this year. The nurses here have been amazing and Andrew has had quite the fan club. {more on that later}
Keepin our fingers crossed to come home soon!

Update

2009-10-24T07:35:00.001-07:00

Little man has confirmed pneumonia as well as atelectasis in the bottom lobes of both lungs and possibly the middle lobe of the right lung. His O2 stats are ranging from 86 to 89 on room air and he is winded easily. He has been on and off oxygen and is on a gamete of meds. A chest CT will be done in hopes of providing answers as to why he keeps getting pneumonia. However, he is quite the trooper and in great spirits...just a bit bored ;)
{and loving watching TV! We don't have ours hooked up at home but he does watch the occasional DVD.}

This is his "TV watching" look ;) He completely zones out!

Pneumonia...

2009-10-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

...again :(

July and August

2009-10-14T08:17:00.001-07:00

{...continued and still told by Andrew ;)}

Like most Texas summers, it was a scorcher!

Much time was spent at the {LifeTime} pool and a trip or two to Hawaiian Falls water park...
We house-sat for our friends and helped with there dogs {it was my first paid job!}...
Mom went away two "float the river" with her friends, she missed me so much she called every day!...
We visited family in Austin...
But one of my favorite parts was visited friends in Waco {see below}

This is my friend Kourtney. She was my mom's roommate a few years ago. She is really neat!

This is her husband, Adam, he is super fun!

We visited them on our way to Austin and they took us on and ADVENTURE!
It was such a cool surprise!
Can't wait to see you guys again!

April, May, and June {as told by Andrew}

2009-10-14T07:56:00.001-07:00

Wow this year has flown by! The late Sping and Early summer came and went in a blink!

The end of the school year went by quickly! I even graduated!

We took a field trip to the Ft. Worth Zoo {one of my most favorite places to go!} and had a super fun End of the School Year Bash. I even saw some of my classmates over the summer at Peter Piper Pizza!
In May we went to Shannon's annual Crawfish Boil.

I had so much fun playing soccer with the big kids* and playing with the crawfish. I didn't eat them though.
{*=20-something year old men}

I also learned how to tie my shoes!

In June we spent some time a little north of home with friends in Whitesborough, Tx and opening night, mom took me to see the midnight showing of Transformers 2! She's the coolest!
We also spent time in Galveston visiting friends and taking our very first family vacation! Silly mom forgot to take any pics tho! We stayed with mom's friend from high school and met her little boy, Eli. I liked to call him "scooty baby" because he couldn't walk yet...and because it's a funny name! We went to the beach and the pool and one morning woke up SO early {4:30 am to be exact}to get on a boat and trout fish! It was super fun! Before heading home we met my great grandma's sister, husband, and daughter...that sure was neat! I hope mom brings her camera next time we go to the beach, wouldn't want you to miss my sweet sand castle!

More summer adventures coming soon...

It's been awhile!

2009-10-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

Wow what a summer!
We were busy busy bees!
Look forward to filling you in! ...

Until then, remember to add a little silly to your day! :)

Wordless Wednesday 4/29/09

2009-04-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

Andrew and his "girls"

Science Field Trip Jan '09

{The girl to the far left is the ~~infamous~~ super sweet Jessica...stay tuned for a later post on that story ;)}

An antic and an adventure

2009-04-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while!

Well Thurs night we went to 'Life's a Beach' for Mrs. Jenn's birthday and had a great time with the gang! Friday morning we packed up and head to visit family in Austin and had a great laid back trip! It was really good to see the family and we both hated to leave! Nothing particularly new to note or report but I will leave you with a classic "Andrew Antic"
A few days ago while walking around the car Andrew opens his car door [with force] right as I am passing. The door slams hard into my leg and man do I have a bruise. Sweet Andrew initially shocked, checks if I'm OK then says to me "Awe come on mom! Take it like a MAN!" I couldn't help but laugh so hard I nearly fell over!

Until next time...

Just b/c...here's Andrew bored out of his mind ready an hour early for the giant sand pit at Life's A Beach :)

Worless Wednesday- A Blast from the Past

2009-04-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

1/3/2005

April 20th, 2009

2009-04-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Mr. Andrew had his first sleepover or rather friend sleep over... the night started out with a venture to a local hole-in-the-wall Mexican food restaurant {Manny's in Frisco= yum!} and then back to the house to enjoy the evening weather. A little back yard game of soccer was played and then off to *help mom make cookies for a meeting she was attending the next day. Once pj's were on and enough cookie dough was eaten {I know I know but you only live once right?!} the boys were glued to a Starwars-a-thon of some sort. By 10 the boys were droopy eyed and after reading stories with funny accents it was time for "bed." I'm pretty sure I heard giggles for about 30 more minutes ;) All in all it was a fun evening and the boys even slept in til 9am! After chocolate chip pancakes and quick trip to the park (it was ridiculously windy) it was time for our adventure to end...

Andrew and Dylan @ Andrew's 6th birthday party 12/13/08

The past week has been a bit busy as Andrew and I both approach the end of the semester. Andrew's health is continually improving minus an ear infection and some slight chest congestion that we'll blame on the weather change. He recently had an allergy scratch test preformed that showed he is severely allergic to cats and tree nuts so we are now equipped with an epipen in case of an emergency.
Easter was great! We spent the weekend with friends/family outside of Sherman pictures and more on that to come soon...

*by helped make cookie I mean watch Starwars while MOM makes cookies and pause movie to sneak cookie dough and enjoy a few fresh out of the oven. And no in case you were wondering these were not wheat free...just plain ol' Nestle recipe that I'm sure I can tweak to cater to my allergy someday if I so choose... :)

Pretzels and a pharmasist

2009-04-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today we attempted to make {wheat less} pretzels, substituting oat flour in place of all-purpose flour. It was a lot of work but they turned out decently and were rather tasty however I think I will try rice flour next time. (Oat flour is really dense) We did try spaghetti with rice noodles tonight and it turned out well. Why wheat less you ask? Well I apparently have an intolerance/allergy to wheat {what?!?! isn't wheat in everything: yea just about...} that is likely the culprit to my near unbearable stomach pain :( Anyhow, it's not the end of the world, we'll adjust and just may be a little healthier because of it who knows...

While at the grocer store today Andrew said to me "Mama, when I grow up I want to be a pharmacist" Perplexed and rather impressed I asked why and he responded with "So I can make sure people get the right medicine, it's how they get better." ...so practical :)

Sweet Andrew,

Whether you grow up to be an animal catcher (your response when asked what you'd be when you grew up at your pre-school graduation), a fireman (your response up until recently) or a pharmacist, I will be one proud mama and behind you 100%. :)

An Andrew Antic

2009-04-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

Alliteration's are fun...too bad I'm not very good at them {sigh}

Anyhow I felt the need to share with you how much sweet Andrew or most six year old's for that matter are lacking in a verbal filter.

Yesterday was filled with community gatherings and we had a great time! First we ventured out to our friend Shannon's for her yearly Crawfish Boil...always a great time! Andrew makes friends easily (as you all know!) and quickly found himself a soccer buddy (who I apparently knew from the gym...never mind long story) and became part of the "boy's [only] club" He had a blast! Later that evening we headed to our sweet friend Megan's Baseball Birthday BBQ and again had a great time. Andrew [finally!] saw arguably one of his favorite people in the entire world Omar and tagged along with him most of the night. Alright so the get to the point Sara, right??

Well while the girls were talking and catching up Andrew walks up and asks our friend Ann Carolyn "why do have such short pants on?" with a rather perplexed look on his face. {insert massive amounts of laughter here!} It could have been worse...like the time he asked a perfect stranger if she had a baby in her belly {no she did not} and then proceeded to make a point that there just must be a lot of food in there ...or the time he asked another stranger who was easily in her 30's if she was a grandmother...oh that boy! Always keepin' me on my toes! :)

The Big "C"

2009-04-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

as in CAVITY!

And not just one...or two...but THREE! :(

Yesterday Andrew has a dentist appointment and while he did great while Miss Carrie cleaned his teeth we were blasted with the news of tooth decay...

The thing that gets me the most is that Andrew isn't a big candy person or continuously noshing on sweets. If you know me well you know we eat pretty well and rarely have that kind of stuff in the house. Andrew is a diligent brusher due to his moms obsession with teeth (hey now I had braces and had to brush them ALL the time what can I say ;) ) So after racking my brain Carrie (the dental hygienist) and I have come to the conclusion that these guys are the culprit:

The crazy thing is they are a great source vitamins etc but apparently wreak havoc on your teeth...

So anyway guess we'll see a periodontist soon and throwin out the beloved after school snack. (side note: we were also told raisins are awful too!)

In other Andrew news:

He has officially grown out of his size 6 jeans and by grown out of I mean they are all too short! Thankfully summer is just around the corner!

He has had his first wipe-out incident on a skateboard complete with bumps, bruises, and scraps.

He has discovered he does indeed like strawberries after insisting for years he "hates" them.

His favorite movies (to watch at home) are Surf's Up and Over the Hedge.

His favorite movies in the theater are Monster's vs Aliens and Bedtime Stories.

And finally his favorite sayings are "peace out dude," "awe, tarter sauce!," (yes thank you Sponge Bob, whom we never watch I might add) and finally when insisting he's right and you're wrong he raises his eye brows, nods his head wide eyed and says "uh, yeah!"

Wordless Wednesday 3-11-09

2009-04-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

So Ready...

2009-04-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

to go home!

The doctor just stopped by and after one more breathing treatment little man is going home! His oxygen levels are WAY up and he is B-O-R-E-D and ready to get out of bed! We both went to "Asthma Education" class this morning and learned how to best care for Monkey and his needs. Asthma is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases however most cases are mild. While the first signs of his asthma [just a few months ago] were very mild they are now classifying him as a moderate-severe asthmatic. He was introduced to The Vest today and I have been taught manual chest percussion therapy (CPT) for his atelectasis (partially collapsed lung.) We should be back to normal soon and will follow up with the Pulmonolgist to see what may be the underlying trigger of his episodes.

("The Vest" and a breathing treatment...horrible quality pic)

We are both beyond ready for a normal night of sleep and to get back on schedule. He'll have to wait another day before he is ready to return to school and will need to be closely watched but tonight we are thanking friends for their sweet prayer and and praising the Great Physician for His healing hands.

Headed to Children's...

2009-04-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Sleep deprivation. That is my two word description of the past several days...

Tues evening about 10 my sweet friend Donna and I took Andrew to Children's ER for "labored" breathing. He does have asthma and is prone to Bronchitis and the such but the acceleration of his "episode" left me with no other choice but to take him in. Upon arrival he was quick to make friends with a sweet nurse named Sarah who made our late into the evening/early into the morning stay a bit more pleasant. His oxygen levels were at 92 percent when we arrived so he was given a series of 3 breathing treatments and an oral steroid. We were sent home around 3am and have followed up with the doctor everyday since then. A chest x-ray at the ER showed signs of early pneumonia so he's been on an antibiotic along with breathing treatments every 2-3 hrs. At an early morning doctors appointment today his pediatrician said it was time to have him admitted for further tests. So we headed to Children's Medical Center around 2:30 pm and have been here ever since.

At this point we wait. They did another chest x-ray which showed he does indeed have pneumonia and his O2 stats dropped to as low as 87%. My little monkey is now on oxygen.

So we wait...and pray...and wait some more.