Whittaker Woman

Daley Hake is Back!

Our friend Daley who has taken all my pictures for my blog banners, is coming to town! Which means two things... One is I will get a new blog banner this month! HURRAY! I am so over this one. And the other thing is that you can book him too!  This is from Carlos' blog...

Again. Let me say you’re welcome for introducing the southeast to the skinny kid who played guitar for me when he was like, 4 or something.
He’s coming back. Nov. 5th through 12th.
I’ve convinced him I could feed him and book him so we could share a bottle of Merlot and you could get rock star pictures of yourself, your kid, your mom.

Mention RagamuffinSoul when you email Julie at booking@daleyhake.com and get the swanky deal of $250 bones for your shoot.

You know you want to.
Los

So if you need Christmas pictures here you go... H

Family Night #25

We decided to have fun with a Ghost Family Night.
   The kids had so much fun with just a sheet, I think I know what to buy for their Christmas gifts.       We started off by Ghosting some friends. We packed a goody bag, put it on their porch with a note saying they have been ghosted. Then we door bell ditched them. Leaving a ghost to deliver the goods.         The kids thought this was the funnest thing ever! 
  We decorated everything in white, and made some white ghosts for the center pieces.    The girls made ghosts out of these butternut squashes.      
It was so much fun! We also had the classic quote... " Mom can we do a ghost night again."
Your turn...
Share your what your family does to connect.
1. Simply write about it in a post on your blog.
2. LINK back to this site somewhere in your post.
3. Then put your URL into Mr Linky below.
I can't wait to get more ideas!  H

Blog Party: Meet Tamara

This is Tamara, who will be traveling to the blog party from Nashville. She went to 9 different schools growing up? Who can beat that? I went to... 4... and then the the jr high, and high school that fed into my last school. H

The Secret

My dearest #1 loves to share her dislike for veggies. The other night Sohaila only had a few bites left of veggies, but she chose to sit alone at the table for at least 20 minutes because she would not eat. Finally Carlos stepped in and taught her the secret... He taught her to plug her nose when she takes a bite.  Tonight she was so excited to share the "secret" to Seanna while they ate their broccoli.




Seanna got the dramatic bug too.




How do you get your kids to eat veggies. Help. H

Blog Party: Meet Michelle

Meet Michelle, I love to hear about others who have adopted and reading their stories. Go check her out! H

Who is your twin?

 
Do you have a look a like? My friend Jennifer and I met in high school where we became fast friends. Our first year of college we scheduled most of our classes together and there was not a day that went by without someone asking us if we were sisters. I'm not kidding. Not one day. I look back and see a few pictures where we might look like sisters, but it was amazing how often we got that remark.
Who do people say you look like. Famous? Family? Who? They say everyone has a twin.  H

Blog Party: Meet Erika

I am falling behind! I need more hours in my day! Ok meet Erika, I am excited to meet her and her crew who are traveling down to visit.  I loved this in her bio... she said "Life to me is an adventure, particularly when God gets involved" Boy has is my quote for this last year. Go say hi and check Erika out!

Could She Be Any More Like Me?

I have this weird thing about me. I like the spotlight, but only when I am in control of it. Do I sound as if I need to have a grip on things? It's really my emotions that I feel I need to have a hold on.  If I have to in some form show emotion, expressions or act a certain way... I run as fast as I can. Nope not for me.  I have learned over the years how to... well, to be fake. My natural tendency is to express my true thoughts and feelings, but over life I have learned that often times you are mistaken as an snob, or just a plain ass. Which neither have ever been the heart of what I meant. I just happen to come across this way because I am not fluffy. Well I have passed down that gene to my dearest #2. During her present opening time, she had the hardest showing her emotions. She was excited. You could see it sneak out every now and then, but she would never want everyone to think that she is having the time of her life. Control. She needed control.
 
The game in our parenting is try to break her... make her smile!
 
Look at this opening process. Scowl... I'm not going to smile...
 
Dad, don't make me do it... Ok I like it SMILE
 
Oh I can just feel her emotions for her here. This is how I know we are the same.
 
Oh she almost lost her focus... Look away... always the way to regain control.
 
Focus... Focus... Oh she even made it through the clapping part! Success.
She just fills my heart. 

 

And then there is Sohaila. Can you guess who she is like. Look at her face while Seanna opened presents. Confess time... Are you a SHINE or hide kind of person. H

Blog Party: Meet Vanessa Brown

I love this post on Vanessa's blog. You have to love a grown woman willing to admit this! H

Georgia On My Mind

Oh I love living someplace where there are seasons! This does not happen in So Cal. in October! Whats your weather? H

The Barn... Only 15 more spots

Hey guys, just an update. I only have 15 more spots available for this blog party. We are having it in a location that only allows a certain number of guests, so I wanted to make sure everyone got a ticket. I have heard many of you say you are coming, but not everyone has bought a ticket. If you are interested, make sure you buy your ticket before they get filled!

Remember the date of the party is NOVEMBER 8th, at 6:30 pm.

We will be having it at the Fickle Pickle Barn   in Roswell GA. 

Cost is $21 per person. Dinner cost $20 and I added a dollar so we can have a little extra to play with! So first things first if you plan on attending please go ahead and use the Pay Pal button on the side to buy your ticket! I have set up a Pay Pal Button on the side to make it easy to collect the money for the party. We can give a 100% credit back up till the day before. After that we will just have to enjoy the meal you purchased. :)

Ok last bit of info... My goal is to feature one person a day, in their words of WHO THEY ARE. So if you have not sent me a picture, your website and a bio of YOU, then send it to whittakerwoman@yahoo.com. If you have not been keeping up with everyone go Check it out. It really has been fun meeting these people.

First...Pay, Second... Bio, Third... lets get to know one another! H

It's Confirmed

Jacinda is coming back to the Dirty South!
Our blogging friend Liege and Jacinda are coming to the blog party. Yes, the blog party here in Roswell.  I can hardly contain myself. I have the giggles and am in shock! My grandma, my best friend, and my new blogging friend are all coming to the blog party from California! Hello!  Oh it is going to be so fun! Who else needs to get their ticket? H

They belong together

My dearest uncle has a thing for buying my children the largest stuffed animals possible. Losiah has a life size bear in his room, the girls have a life size pony, we a huge panda, a giant tiger (that was given to a friend)... the list can go on and on. Well I actually was kinda excited that we are moving to Atlanta because I did not have to find a home for all of these new residents. Don't get me wrong we love them. We were just on the road that was leading us to have to purchase a larger home just to fit everyone. So since we moved I wondered what he would do for presents. Well, when we went to CA it was Seanna's b-day. My uncle called and said he was coming over. I could tell by how my mom was talking that he had something up his sleeve. So he walked in and had Seanna sit on the couch. With a big TaDa he brings he  a life size DOC from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was a great present but she did not know how to react. Then I hear my uncle say. " We could'nt just get one of the Dwarfs, they belong together" then I see David and my brother carrying the other 6 LIFE SIZE stuffed dwarfs in. All I could think was... How the heck am I getting these home? 
SO after borrowing three other bags and stuffing the two we brought we managed to bring our little colony home.

Any one have a snow white dress? H

Blog Party: Meet Allison

We have a newbie here friends. Allison just started a blog. Lets make her stats look great. Go say hi. H

Detox

We got our bake on today, AND I DO NOT BAKE!  Except for today.   Four of your cookies. We will see how many I will do each day. This is gonna be fun! I don't want to tell you what cookies I made because I want it to be fair and square. I liked them all. One I will probably make again. Well maybe two of them.  They were tasty. Oh and you are for sure gonna make me fat! Wowzers some of these recipes are not afraid to use every high calorie ingredient available.

I also had a moment, it was a quick moment, one that was over before I knew it but my moment was with my girls. I had so much fun baking with them. I could almost for see our future and our special memories in the kitchen. It was great.



Oh, all this measuring and exact amounts about through me overboard... I quickly had to cook something. No recipe just ingredients. It was a detox for my brain.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Goat cheese, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Basil. Caesar salad with homemade croutons, noodles with homemade red sauce and finally my favorite garlic bread. Oh what a breath of fresh air. NO RECIPES!  Liberating! :) H

Blog Party: Meet Kyle

 
So far Kyle is traveling the farthest to get here. However I have heard some rumors that he may not hold the title very long. We shall see. Go say hi! H

Help Me Get Fat!

I need some cookie recipes for Christmas. SO... I thought I'd let you help. I will have us a little cookie competition. Starting now till Saturday night. Anyone who sends me a recipe (whittakerwoman@yahoo.com) or post one here will be entered into the Whittaker Family Cookie Contest. This next week I will make each cookie to fine out which ones I need to be baking at Christmas time. Send me your favorite Cookie recipe! Yes its a competition, which means prized friends! All you have to do is send me your favorite recipe!  Bakers start your engines, and send your recipes my way!
Here is the one and only cookie I make...

These are Called Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies but I call them Lori's Cowboy Cookies, because that is who made them for me. :)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

NOTE: For 6 dozen smaller cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Blog Party: Meet Adrienne

Meet my friend Adrienne. Adrienne and her husband Chris are in my small group. I must admit that when I first met her I never imagined I would find her as one of the funniest people in our group, but man does she make me crack up! H

You ask, I'll answer set 19

*what is your favorite childrens book and why?
Posted by: Tracie | May 13, 2008 at 11:41 AM

This is a hard one for me to answer. I am going to go with the first book to pop into my head which is... Put Me In The Zoo by Dr. Seuss
  This is the first big kid book that I learned to read all by myself. I can now say it line by line. The reason this was a hard question to answer was because I began to think of the best written book, what book has the best story, finally I stopped and chose the book that brings the best memories. Go ahead... Whats yours? H

Blogger Party: Meet The Black Family

Meet Kristy and Adam Black. They love to watch reality TV... Do you? What show? H

Family Night #24, Seanna's Second Party

I must admit... I had so many cute Halloween ideas that I may have used a little parental manipulation to have Seanna believe that she wanted a Halloween Costume Party for her b-day.  It was so fun. I remember looking out my kitchen window and seeing this...

Is that not a scene from PotteryBarn. Oh it just makes me so fuzzy!

I just love kids in costumes!

But I love adults even more.  This is the only picture of my costume. I was a chef... Losiah my Lobster.

We had witches brew: Lemonade with green food coloring and dry ice

Mummies: Hot dogs wrapped in Pillsbury bread stick dough

Fresh tomato soup with a sour cream spider web

Bones: More Pillsbury bread sicks shaped like a bone. So easy!

And a pumpkin cake. 

We were gonna play some kind of mummy game with TP but after the presents, food, and cake.
Time was up. It was such a perfect evening!

Your turn...
Share your what your family does to connect.
1. Simply write about it in a post on your blog.
2. LINK back to this site somewhere in your post.
3. Then put your URL into Mr Linky below.
I can't wait to get more ideas!  H

Blog Party: Meet Natalie

Oh my,  check out Natalie ! You will find out why she deserves to win some kind of Mother of the Year award. Or at least a I-am-a-stud-and-lived-through-it award I mean really, at one point in her life she had three kids under the age of 21 months. CRAZY! I want to just shake her hand because of that!  How far apart are your kids? H

Saved By The Tooth

Saturday morning Carlos and the girls were making pancakes.

This should be a happy activity, some wonderful bonding time, but oh the ladies were TERRIBLE!
Just complaining! Fighting and just getting on my nerves!

It finally got to the point where I was done. I began the mother lecture, I told them to get down, they were done helping, they needed to leave my sight. You know either you have said it or you can remember your mom saying it to you. As I was in the middle of my speech about how disappointed I am about their behavior Sohaila's eyes got real big, she reached into her mouth and just grabbed the tooth. I guess it just fell out as they were getting in trouble. The timing was perfect. We all started busting up laughing. She was saved by the Tooth.

Blog Party: Meet Stephanie

Meet Stephanie, she has the title of being my very first friend in GA! One thing I love about Stephanie is that she owns her own business. After I've had three kids, I just could not imagine being a mom, a wife to a rock star, a friend and THEN own my own business. She does a great job! Check out her store. It's adorable! Not only do I want to live in the store, but I want everything in the store. Who out there is a stud and has their own business? H

Georgia On My Mind...The Frat Boy Look

I about died when he walked in the room, you see Seanna had her Halloween Costume Birthday Party this weekend and this is what my man came up with. And boy did he do a good job! This is what guys look like here. Well, ok not every guy,  but the definalty the "Cute Frat Boys".  See in Cali the "Cute Frat Boys" are dressed to the nines in their fly outfits so this look is a little different in my book. But man does my man nail it.  What are you going to be for Halloween? H

1, 2, 3 INHALE

Do you hold your breath when you go through a tunnel? I don't. Well I take that back. I do, but only one   tunnel. The one that is right before you hit the Yosemite Valley. I have no idea how long it is, but it is long enough to make me turn blue. It's just something my brother and I have done all of our lives. The worst part is if you get behind a slow car or the driver of your car is being really mean to you and slows down. Oh its hard but oh so fun. So tell me are we the only ones who do this? h

Blog Party: Meet Cookie

Meet Cookie, she loves Pepsi... But I am a Coke kind of girl. What about you. Coke or Pepsi?

A Good Idea

This was my idea. A nice evening picnic at sunset. Just a wonderful evening as a family.

But Seanna brought her guns... She was full of ammunition.

And even before dinner was served she was getting a TALK.
 Look at our faces. Oh that cracks me up!

We tried to take a group picture, but it only lead to this...

The saving moment of the evening was this little guy...

Losiah was not about it though. Oh at least we ended on a good note. H

Blogger Party: Meet Jenn

Meet Jenn, met and married her man within 11 months. Who has a faster record? H

Family Night # 23, Seanna's First Party

Since we were in LA last weekend. I thought I would have a party for Seanna with our friends and family from So Cal. For some reason, Seanna usually gets gypped for her b-day and I thought I would make up by giving her two parties. One in Cali, and one in GA. So we spent time as a family celebrating our girl this week.
She wanted a cooking party...

Which was so easy because I just used what was in the kitchen! I used the mixing bowl for chips, a collander or the grapes, and cake pans to layer and put plates on.

Everyone made their own pizza, Seanna did hers first.

I wore a chef outfit while I rolled out dough.

The kids then decorated the their own cupcakes. Really this party was great, the guest did their own cooking! What a big time saver!

Now I know this was not our traditional Family Night, it was a time where we were able to spend time with our loved ones. How do you spend time with yours?

Your turn...
Share your what your family does to connect.
1. Simply write about it in a post on your blog.
2. LINK back to this site somewhere in your post.
3. Then put your URL into Mr Linky below.
I can't wait to get more ideas!  H

Meet Celesta

Go Say Hi to her...

Mama and Papa ( And Please Say it With a Hispanic Accent)

This is Mama, Carlos' maternal grandmother.
I envy her cooking skills. I can do her frijoles pretty well, but I long to know what else is up her sleeve. The problem is... She does not speak English. Which makes cooking lessons a little difficult. Look what she cooked for us when we came to visit. NOW WE ARE TALKING!

I actually tried to make it, just like she told me to and it did not come out as good as hers.

Mama would fill Carlos' plate anytime it got close to being empty...

He wanted to make sure "I learned what she is doing".

What does your grandma make that you just can't live with out? H

Meet Renee

Meet My Special Ks

He's Two and Behaving!

The value of learning to do chores is so much more important than doing them right.

I understand his battle... my mantle is above my head so if tall people come over and they see dust it is not my fault. H

I'm a Stalker, How About You Blog Party

Don't you just love our new blog title, it's for the Blog Party and it just makes me laugh. I have set up  a link to our new blog on the side of this one. I will be posting info about each blogger who is attending so we can get to know one another. I know you want to come... It's going to be a blast! Go Check it out and let get together! H

Marathon Done!

THINGS TO DO WHILE I AM ALIVE!

Climb half dome:   (2004, '05, '06, '07/video)
Hike to "my tree"
Skydive:   (Madera, 4/2005 and Kauai  8/2005)
Learn to scuba dive:
Dive to a ship wreck:
Run a 1/2 Marathon: July 19, 2008, August 2, 9, 22, 2008
Run a Marathon: October 13, 2008
Walk on the Great Wall of China:
Drive across the country:
Learn to surf:
Hike the John Muir trail from Half dome to Whitney:
Go on  Dog Sled Ride:
See Northern Lights
Adopt a child: X (11/27/06) Korean Videos
Go on a Safari:  (2/16/08)
Volunteer in a hospital:
Learn to ride a motorcycle: (3/2006)
Work at a soup kitchen:
Climb Mt. Whitney, The highest peak in the lower 48 states! (8/15/2007)
Take a Massage class:
Ride along with a police officer: X ( 5/4/07)   Helicopter: (Sept 15, 2007)
Drive a race car:
Read a book once a month: X so far so good.
Go to the Olympics
See Garth Brooks in Concert:
Backpack through Europe:
Jump off a cliff in Hawaii: X (08/2005)
Hike the Grand Canyon
Go see a live Volcano:
Be on a  disaster relief team:
Bungee Jump off of Victoria Falls:
Swim in all 5 oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian, Southern
Run the great wall of china:
Heli-snowboard:
Ice Fishing:
Travel to Kodiak Island and see the bears.                                                                                                               Travel to: Spain, South America, England's countryside, China, Africa, Korea, New Zealand
Visit all 50 states (more than a  layover.) : Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, District of Columbia.
*Visit all the continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and  Australia

Whats on my list that you have done? H