A Graduation Party

 





for our favorite guy...

Greg Sherwood, MBA (shouldn't he be wearing a suit?)

SJ helping set up

Way to go, Greg.  He won't admit it, but going to graduate school while supporting a family, holding down a demanding full time job, and a busy calling (volunteer position) at church is remarkable.  All while still making lots of time for his family and without borrowing any money or showing us his stress.  We sure love and appreciate him.   

5 rules from the Laundry Nazi

Who is the laundry nazi, you ask?  It is I, Nicolle.  I like doing laundry.  That may sound wierd, but it is true.  It is one household chore that I don't mind, as long as it is done MY WAY!

1.  Laundry is to be done once a week- on the same day each week. 

2.  Wash loads in this order:  whites, then pinks, then darks, and then medium colors go last (that way, if you miss something, you can catch it in the last load)

3.  Have all loads done by the time the kids are in bed... that way you can fold laundry while watching the nightly news. 

4.  # 4 is the MOST IMPORTANT RULE:  Do not start putting the laundry away before it is all folded... otherwise you have to put it away 2 or 3 times and you end up doing 2 or 3 times the work.

5.  Put all of the laundry away before going to bed... this prevents your nice folded baskets from being overturned first thing in the morning by your "helpful" children.  (SJ loves to say "I'n hepiiinnn")

Any questions?

You Have Been Chopped

Your challenge is to create a dish, using the 4 mystery ingredients, within the 30 minute time limit. 

APPETIZER:

Contestants:
Natalie "miso sassy" Harris

David "give me all your plates" Harris

Mystery ingredients:  prosciutto, asparagus, egg noodles, and miso paste

Finished product: 

(Natalie) miso, prosciutto, asparagus, and crunchy egg  noodle pizza

(David) some prosciutto on a crepe (ran out of time to finish his prosciutto, asparagus, egg noodle crepes with miso sauce)

Winner:  Natalie

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ENTREE:

Contestants:

Bridget "I'll do all of the dishes" Nelson

Kip "is that a tomato or a red pepper?" Nelson

Ingredients:  spinach pasta, pork tenderloin, "kickin hot" peanut butter, eggplant

Finished product:

(Bridget) breaded pork over roasted vegetables and pasta

(Kip) Pork Jambalaya

Winner:  Kip

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DESSERT: 

Contestants:

Nicolle "let me read the directions" Sherwood

Greg "how do you chop up a mango?" Sherwood

(sidenote:  this photo describes our entire married life... Nicolle reading the directions and Greg jumping right in) Ha!

 

Ingredients:  phyllo dough, fresh mango, cinnamon, and marshmallows

Finished product: 

(Greg) mango/marshmallow/cinnamon ice cream with a phyllo dough dipper

(Nicolle)- s'more's pastry (phyllo dough filled with graham crackers, nutella, marshmallows, cinnamon) and mango/strawberry frozen custard.

'

Winner:  Nicolle

A photo of the champions...

This was the funnest get-together we've had in a long time.  (Yes, we are nerds)  :)

FUN! 5 on Friday

We've been having way to much fun around here, lately. 

1.  I had 3 (count them, 1-2-3) girls nights out last week. 

1st:  tennis with Andrea (we won our traditional one match for the season)

2nd:  went to see the movie The Help with book club... loved the book and highly recommend it

3rd:  out for Japanese to celebrate Shelley's 30th b-day

2.  Now, don't you worry about Greg... he's been having plenty of fun, too.  Playing golf for "work," playing basketball, soccer, and this weekend is going to the PGA Tournament TWICE (once for "work")!  Wow... life is going to be so leisurly now that he is finished with that MBA! 

 3.  Greg also cashed in his Father's Day present this week... our dear friend Natalie watched the girls ALL DAY so I could go with him to the Whitewater Center in Charlotte.  We rafted and ziplined to our heart's content. 

See?  I told you... WAY to much fun around here.

4.  Some other recent photos... Clara helping me peel shrimp.  She is really good at it!

 5.  Notice anyone new to our mantel?  We and some of our friends have a contest each season of NBC's Amazing Race to pick the order each team will place.  I won last season, and this roaming gnome is my prize. Aren't you jealous?

Happy 2nd Birthday SJ!

Today is SJ's 2nd birthday.   We celebrated, yesterday, with Elmo and some friends.  

 

 I love the streamers on the wall behind the high chair... C was so excited to help decorate and surprise SJ... it was very sweet.  C was a little disappointed when SJ woke up on her 2nd birthday and didn't look any bigger than she had the night before.  (Also, if I may brag some more... if you watch the video of SJ blowing out her candles, my favorite part is seeing C watch over her in such a motherly way). 

 

 Unfortunately, SJ was alone in a room with the cupcakes for 10 seconds before the party started, so we served smashed Elmo cupcakes with our little lunch. 

All about SJ:

Favorite Activities:  Swimming, swinging, sliding (esp. if someone is at the bottom to crash into) and wiffle ball.  She loves to go into the garden and pick whatever she can find (ripe or not, doesn't matter) and eat it immediately.  Gives great hugs and will still snuggle up with me to rock right before a nap or bed. 

Favorite show:  Jack's Big Music Show or Elmo (these are our best chance to get her to watch TV... even then we are lucky if she'll sit for 5 minutes).  

Likes:  jumping, climbing, exploring, opening/taking things apart.  She also likes her pacifier, dogs, toilets, the refrigerator, and my make-up bag or other little bottles (lotion, spices... anything "off limits").   Of course, she still loves music, dancing, and to do things "mysewf."

Dislikes:  sitting still, help with getting dressed, brushing teeth, or getting her hair done.  Is grumpy for a few minutes after she wakes in the morning or after a nap.  

Things that make her laugh:  "Animal" on the muppets (hooray for youtube), toys crashing, being tickled on her neck, tackling Mommy, chasing Clara, and hearing other people laugh.

Favorite foods: tomatoes, any fruit, pasta, olives, or any food being eaten by a stranger within her view.

Her word that can multi-task:  "Sowie"  (can be used to mean shower, sorry, or sour)

 

We love our wild and crazy two year old!