Why I haven't blogged this summer

This is our vonage box for the apartment phone, and this isn't counting the calls that I did answer. When we have a property open, I usually average 15-30 calls a day. I normally don't miss 20 calls a day, if I don't pick up the apartment phone, it goes through to my cell phone, so this number is misleading.

I should put a little note about how I really don't like talking on the phone to people I don't know. I'm a little neurotic that way. Don't get me wrong, if it's a friend/family member calling, I'm a big chatter. For some reason, I get ridiculously nervous making a phone call to someone I don't know. I'm sure part of it is knowing that somewhere during that conversation, I'll sound like a complete idiot. I normally have Michael make phone calls for various personal accounts we have (utilities, bills, etc). However, with that apartment phone, it's all me. I have come to detest the sound of that phone ringing. I think when we're done with managing, we'll have a party with a hammer and that phone.

Citrus Basil Vinagrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs orange juice
1 tbs lemon juice
1/4 lemon, zested
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs honey
1/8 cup chopped basil
1 tsp cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a jar. Shake to combine.

For the salad, I used romaine with diced chunks of fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and croutons. The dressing will last about three days. If you strain the basil out, it is good for two weeks.

I know I'm loved...because of pineapple juice

It may seem silly to equate love and pineapple juice, but it's true. With all things apartment that are going on in our house, our mornings are sometimes different. A usual Croft morning goes something like this:

5:00 or some other unholy hour, Michael gets up to go to the gym.
Anywhere between 6:00-7:oo (if Jacob is feeling kind) Jacob and I wake up.
Hopefully before 8:30 everyone else is up and out the door for my turn at the gym.

Because there are some apartment things that can be done only after the kids are in bed, sometimes the gym loses out to sleep. The way I figure it, if I'm getting an apartment ready until 0ne in the morning, that's a good enough workout. On the morning after nights like that, this is how our morning goes.

Between 6:00 -7:40 Michael gets up, showers, gets ready, and gets Jacob when he wakes up. If the girls wake up before he leaves, he gets them breakfast too. What am I doing during all of this? That's right, I'm still asleep in my cozy bed. When it's time for Michael to go to work, he'll come in and wake me up, telling me who is awake, what they have eaten, and any other pertinent things that have happened while I was dead to the world.
A little side note, when Jacob wakes up, he wants breakfast now, right now. The girls were nice enough when they were little that they didn't mind occasionally laying in bed with one or both of their parents until the morning was a little less, um, early. Jacob waits for no one when it comes to meal time. When he wakes up, it's time for breakfast.

So, now to the pineapple juice. I love it, plain and simple. I think all in my house know that when there is a can of pineapple to be opened, the juice is mine (I would actually buy pineapple juice, but even I can't drink all of it before it goes bad). It was no surprise to me to wake up after a late night with apartments to find this.

Michael gave Jacob pineapple that morning with his breakfast and was thoughtful enough to save the juice for me. That's love.

Concoction Enchildadas, Chicken three ways

I realize the name is a little odd, but concoction is the name Michael gives to anything I make that doesn't have a definite recipe. These enchiladas are different nearly every time. The only constant is that there is always cheese and tortillas. You can substitute nearly anything that you like wrapped in a tortilla in this "recipe." The quantity of filling determines how many tortillas you'll need. If you make too much filling, refrigerate it and make some more enchiladas, or cook more rice and serve it over top. I know the directions look long, but the actual dish doesn't take that long to make.

Ingredients
10-12 tortillas (I like corn, but have used flour before - if using corn, spray both sides of the tortillas with nonstick spray and allow to heat in a 350 oven for 2-3 minutes)
2-3 chicken breasts, or a Costco rotisserie chicken, shredded* see explanation below
chicken broth* see explanation below
about one cup of cooked rice, if desired
about one cup of black beans, if desired
about one cup of corn, if desired
about two cups of cheese, shredded
2 cans of 10 oz. enchilada sauce (I use one red and one green)
8 oz. cream cheese on occasion

*For chicken three ways, bake, grill, or otherwise cook a whole chicken (or go to Costco and buy one). Serve with whatever side items strike your fancy. Meal number one. Shred remaining chicken to use in enchiladas (or some other meal). Meal number two. For meal number three, put remaining chicken (bones and all) in a pot filled with water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Allow this to simmer for as long as you have time for; I've done it for as long as three hours. When you've waited long enough, remove the bones and skim the fat off of the top. Add carrots, celery, onion, and/or any other vegetables you like. When those have nearly finished cooking, add some noodles, and voila - meal number three is chicken noodle soup. Now, back to enchiladas.

*If you are using raw chicken, boil the breasts in a pot with enough broth to cover the top of the meat with one inch of broth. Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-60 minutes (the longer the better, but it usually takes about 20 minutes for the chicken to be fully cooked). If you allow the chicken to simmer for the longer amount of time, be sure to check on it every so often so it doesn't cook dry. When chicken is cooked, remove from heat - don't drain, shred chicken.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add chicken and one can of sauce to remaining broth (if using the raw chicken method). Heat this mixture to a simmer and allow to simmer until you need the filling - this is where I use the red sauce.
3. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. If using cream cheese, add to the second can of sauce - this is where I use green sauce. Cover the bottom of the pan with about 1/2 cup of the second can of sauce. Be sure all other ingredients are prepped.
4. Add rice, beans, and corn to the chicken mixture. Get ready to start rolling.
5. Add some filling and cheese to a tortilla, roll it up, and place it seam side down in the 9x13 pan. Repeat until filling is used up or tortillas run out.
6. Pour remaining can of sauce over top of rolled enchiladas, being sure to spread it evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes. If the cheese isn't browned after 20 minutes, turn the broiler on to low, and broil until the cheese has browned. It doesn't take long for it to turn from melted pale cheese to browned to black, so watch carefully.
7. After removing from oven, allow the enchiladas to cool for about five minutes. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, avocado chunks, olives, etc. Enjoy!

A surprise! - sorry Molly

I realize I am very behind with blogging. Between kids, apartments, and life in general, this has been one of the things (let's just say the list is long) that has been pushed aside. As I was looking through pictures of what to post, these caught my eye. Although there are things that happened before this that I haven't covered, I just couldn't let this one sit any longer.

As a preface, I'll start with an apology. As noted in the title, there is a little apology to my dear sister-in-law, Molly. I say again, sorry Molly, this tidbit really did make my day. A little history, Molly is married to Michael's brother Coby, who is stationed in Spain. So, because of the distance, we communicate mainly through Skype. Skype has the added bonus of video conferencing, which because of the time difference isn't utilized as much as we would like. I had never wanted to Skype Molly more than when she sent us a little birthday package. It had Jacob's and Christine's birthday presents, as well as a little surprise for us.

Here are the cute pajamas she sent for Jacob with the t-shirts that Christine loves. She especially likes the panda one.

and...

A little surprise! Somehow, Kohl's must have slipped in this little goody. In case the glare from the plastic distorts it for you, yes, it is a pair of women's underwear.



Maybe a little forgiveness from Molly when she sees just how cute he is in these fireman pajamas.

It's just a napkin right?

This would seem like an ordinary napkin, but to my girls, it is the beginning of a war. It was just a typical morning at the Croft house. I got the kids their breakfast and headed for the shower. I hate when the kids start a fight when I'm in the shower. Trying to referee with soap in your eyes and a cool breeze meeting your backside because your lovely children have to rip open the shower curtain to tell you of their sibling's latest error isn't the best start to a day.

Pre-shower, the napkin war was brewing. Christine got Emma a napkin, and Emma didn't want one (never mind that usually when Christine gets a napkin, Emma's world ends until she gets one too). Christine tried to tell her that she didn't have to use it, but it could sit there waiting for her. Emma wanted nothing to do with that napkin. I finally convinced Emma that she didn't have to use it, and it could just be next to her at the table.

To the shower with me. Christine started the tattling. "Mom, Emma keeps doing this (arm stretched out) to her napkin. She keeps pushing it to the middle of the table, and she's almost sitting on the table." Nearly all of my responses were the same, "It's just a napkin, go eat your breakfast." Emma's turn. "Mom, sissy said I hafta use that napkin." Insert my earlier response.
My miserable shower was over, and the screaming had started. Emma finally runs into my room crying. "Sissy did this to my napkin!" The napkin was nearly torn in half. I couldn't help it, my response was, "Is this the same napkin that you didn't want before?" Emma, "Yes." Insert earlier response.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Christine has been late to school a few times .

Totally unrelated, but exciting nonetheless, Jacob finally cut a tooth! 12 months old, and he finally has a tooth. It looks like the next will come through shortly.

Time for a new post

Here's what Jacob has been up to lately.


He loves to be in the bathroom, so long as the light is on, he heads straight for it. He also loves the bathtub. He loves to stand by it and wait his turn.


He uses this little step for mischief. He can push it all over and then use it to climb up to something.


Waiting his turn.


This is another hot spot. He loves to take all of the puzzles and books off of the shelf. He doesn't really play with them afterward, he just likes to dump.


How can you get mad at that face?


Although, I am getting tired of putting the puzzles together multiple times a day. How fast a year has gone, in a few days, my baby will be one.