To Market, To Market!

The Shreveport Farmers' Market opens back up this Saturday after its Revel hiatus! I can't wait! Fresh veggies, fruits, breads! I have a hankering for a fresh bag of granola. And some fig preserves sound mighty tasty! Here's a little breakfast I like to serve the kiddos. It has some of Millie Bug and Brother's favorites -- bananas, pb and yogurt -- can't go wrong. And of course, it's so easy, well, I can make it, or compile it rather.

Peanut-Butter Breakfast Banana Split
1 small ripe banana, halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp. reduced-fat peanut butter
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 Tbsp. granola
Place the banana halves in a banana split dish or shallow bowl with cut sides facing forward. Spread the peanut butter on the open banana. Spoon the yogurt in the middle. Top with the granola. Serve immediately.
So easy! So nutritious! As Millie Bug would say, "So delectable, Mommy!"

Oh, another nutritious discovery: We can't afford to go totally organic, but I picked up the Archer Farms (Target) brand of organic blueberry and almond instant oatmeal. Ummmm, de-lish! The blueberries are probably the freshest tasting you're gonna get in an instant oatmeal. No cardboard stuff here. I love the thought of filling my babies' tummies up with something wholesome ... which leads me to my obsession for packing their school lunches, which I have yet to pack for tomorrow (today rather). "Love in a Lunch Bag" coming soon!

Lusts

Lust #1: I picked up this chenille pillowcase (left) in an antique mall in West Monroe before Amelia was born. I never really found a use for it in her nursery. It's been tossed around her room since. But inspiration has presented itself. I came across these precious pantaloons, and envision a transformation. Not sure there's enough of the chenille or quite sure how it's gonna happen. But I can dream can't I?

Lust #2: I'm not usually a fan of Bath & Body Works. But I ran across this luscious autumn home fragrance recently and can't get enough! It's called "Leaves," and it conjures up all things fall!

Lust #3: Pumpkin hand soap by Bath Junkie. Discovered this one in the restroom of Cantina Laredo on one of Amelia's trips to the potty. I smothered both of our hands in it, and we took turns all night caressing each other's faces with our good-enough-to-eat-smelling hands. It's definitely on my shopping list. YUMMY!

'I Need a Haircut'

Well, the dreaded has occurred. I've always heard horror stories about children finding the scissors and taking chunks out of their hair. And the day has arrived for me.

I'm recouping from a surgery, and so my mom was here at the house helping me with the children. She was picking up their room when she heard Amelia say, "I need a haircut. I need to look fabulous" while admiring herself in mirror. Mom didn't think anything of it. Then she saw Amelia go for the baby scissors in the changing table drawer, but she also heard her say she couldn't find them. Just then, I heard a loud thump, and ran to the nursery. Mom had tripped over the baby trying to stop Amelia ... from cutting her hair.

It was too late. It was the third and final snip. And all I could do was pick my darling daughter's three locks of hair from the floor and even garbage. Yes, garbage. Technically, this was her first haircut, minus the time Momma trimmed her bangs on New Year's Eve ... unbeknownst to me. I wasn't going to let that hair go and put it straight into a Ziploc for safekeeping. I couldn't even speak. Amelia was devastated enough as it was. When she realized what she had done, she wailed and cried herself to sleep. Poor baby. I'm pretty sure she learned her lesson.

Did I mention school pictures were the next day?

I'll Get You My Pretty!

Oh, the wonderful land of Oz! Little Amelia loves to escape there. She was introduced to "The Wizard of Oz" early. Her Daddy insisted, partly because of his love of playing the movie simultaneously to Pink Floyd. And for me, it was always a childhood favorite. My daddy would holler from his room "Change it to Channel 4! Hurry!" whenever he caught it while channel surfing. And he does the same today with my kids. Papaw's favorite is the Lollipop Guild, and I can vividly remember him doing his own rendition when I was little. He's funny like that! Anyway, Amelia loves the movie. Her favorite line is "I'll get you my pretty ... and your little dog too!" to which she replies, "No, not my little dog!" Too cute! So I was elated when the Robinson Film Center scheduled to show the feature as part of it's Movies and Moonbooms Program. They do outdoor screenings of films, and this one was to be shown at RiverView Park down by the river. The night was lovely. And Amelia had the perfect outfit -- a pink tee Mimi had purchased for her that had the Wicked Witch and her favorite line, black and white striped tights, chucks, and twin buns with green bows.

To top it off, I packed a picnic supper in a real picnic basket! (I finally was able to use the picnic backpack Becky gave Eric and I for our wedding.)

Millie Bug & Brother had a ball! And the love continues ... Millie Bug goes back and forth between wanting to be the Wicked Witch and Dorothy for Halloween. And well, poor Brother, it's imperative he be her sidekick, so it looks like the Scarecrow or the Cowardly Lion for him! Daddy votes flying monkey. And you know me, I've already bought the ruby slippers!

A Field Guide to Growing up Anderson

Finally, after much consideration and procrastination, Millie Bug & Brother is a reality. "To blog or not to blog" has been weighing on my mind for some time now. But with a backlog of baby journal entries and potential scrapbook page ideas, it seems the only answer right now is to blog. The children's poor baby books have amounted to nothing more than snippets of paper here and there -- stuffed in a daily planner, magazines, or children's books -- with little more than child's name, date, and brief description of a momentous milestone scribbled on a scrap piece of paper or sticky note. Shame on me. Now to make amends. My children's beautiful moments will be recorded here for the world to see. Because they are special and deserve to be shared. I hope family and friends will enjoy peeking into our lives and watching the children blossom. They really are an interesting pair. Can't imagine one without the other.
Why "Millie Bug & Brother"? Well, Millie Bug is the Anderson family's nickname for Amelia. Oh, and I couldn't be more pleased. Before Amelia was born, Eric and I considered nicknames for her. I loved Millie. Eric vehemently opposed it, opting only to call her by her full name -- Amelia. Well, after she was born, she became Mia to me. A.J. to some. But Millie Bug to her Becca. And I love it!
As for Brother. Well, that's what he is. Abram Elias' name came to us a day after his birth. I loved Eli but knew too many Elijahs. Elias seemed the only other option. And as for Abram, it's a Booty brother's name. I ran across it editing a sports article, and boom! We had our name. Eric's side of the family calls the baby Abram; my family Eli. He's known formally as Abram. I personally like Abe. But none of these names has stuck with me. Since Amelia's the only one I can converse with during the day, I refer to him as "Brother" to her. And thus, his nickname. So they are ... Millie Bug & Brother. And I'm their mommy. And every day with them is an adventure.