Jennifer’s

Dear Isabella:

I love your silly moments, of which there are many, your intelligence, which continues to amaze and frighten me, your utter domination of language, about which you receive numerous compliments and looks of astonishment from people when they find out how young you are, your love of music and Guitar Hero, and your passion for letters, their sounds, and words.

You have quite an unusual taste in music for one so little, Isabella.¬† Your loves range from Veggie Tales to Susan Boyle to KISS to Coldplay to Beatles to Raffi to nearly any song on Guitar Hero.¬†¬†Your wide musical preferences collided,¬†in true Glee form,¬†in your own¬†mashup of “Rock ‘n Roll All Night” and “Goodnight Irene.”¬† You even have your own rock ‘n roll hat that you don whenever you and Daddy play Guitar Hero.¬† I love watching you grab your microphone and listening to your sweet little voice sing or yell out, “I can’t hear you!”¬† You even like to tell me that you, “like to rock and roll all night”!

You often break out into song or sing little tunes as you are busy playing.¬†¬†¬† I, too, am a lover of music so often I will join in or start up another song.¬† You used to be tolerant of this, but as you become more musically savvy I think my days as a songbird are numbered as evidenced by your remarks when I broke out into melody.¬† “Mommy, what’s that noise?”¬† After I said I was singing you told me to stop.¬† Clearly,¬†your ear for music is far more developed than mine and the sound of my voice makes it bleed!

You are fascinated with knowing people’s full names and then love to assign those names to other people than to whom they belong.¬† You also love pretending to be someone else and then forcing the person your playing with to call you that name and take on a new name for themselves. Over the last few months Daddy has been called “Daddy Rae Woolsey”, “Prince Charming Keith Woolsey”, “Shrek”, “Marv”, “Tim”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Sir”, “Mowgli”, and “Baloo”.¬† I have personally been called “Mommy Rae Woolsey”, every Disney princess under the sun, “Grandma”, “Rhi Rhi”, “Grams”, “Lola”, “Lotta”, and “Princess Fiona”.¬† For better or for worse you were introduced to Shrek while in Indiana and ever since then you have been fascinated with reenacting scenes from the film and calling us by the characters’ names.¬† It’s a little hard to keep up with your imagination sometimes, so we often call you the wrong name, which results in a very bossy, “No, call me…”.¬† The best was when Shrek (aka Daddy) called you Princess Fiona, you glared and demanded, “No, call me donkey!”

Speaking of imagination, they don’t really come much bigger than your’s.¬† You are just as content with no toys around as a room full of them because anything you can grab becomes a useful tool in your mind.¬† I recently bought a new pair of running shoes and as I was replacing the insoles your eye was caught by the factory insoles as they had a pretty pattern in bright vivid colors.¬† You immediately asked if you could have them and over the next few days they became everything from your beach shoes to skates to pencils that we had to cart around everywhere.

Somewhere along the line you’ve learned about ghosts and often come running up to me, grab my legs, and pronounce, “Mommy, I’m scared.¬† See that ghost?”¬† Of course, we tell you that ghosts aren’t real, and you know this, but for some reason you love to pretend to be scared.

You only have to see or hear something once and it is forever etched in your brain.  Thus, you are able to open any of your books, glance at the pictures and can give a near perfect reading of the book.  Many times our play involves acting out some scene from a Charlie and Lola book or a scene from Jungle Book, your absolute favorite movie.

Did I mention that you are quite the talker?¬† The things that come out of your mouth and the level of sophistication of your words and the thoughts behind your sentences is mind blowing sometimes.¬† You are extremely fascinated with stars, the moon, and the sun and where they go during the day or night.¬† On an evening walk you asked me if there was only one moon, so we got into a discussion about planets and moons.¬† You then paused, looked up at the sky and then at me and asked, “Is there only one Venus, Mommy?”¬† On another walk you stopped to admire a neighbor’s Halloween decorations and then commented on their landscaping, ‘There are literally thousands of rocks in their yard, Mommy.”

You have already figured out how to manipulate language in order to get what you want.¬† On the drive back from CO this past Thanksgiving we grabbed a cookie before returning to our hotel for the night.¬† We all had a little bite and then put the bag away for another time.¬† You kept begging for another taste, which was continually denied.¬† You then looked at us and said, “I just need to hold the bag.”¬† The look on your face was priceless; you honestly believed that if you were clever enough to think it we were surely dumb enough to buy it!

You’ve also become very fascinated with the concept of love and figuring out who loves whom.¬† You weren’t satisfied until you’d gone through every person you know and determined who they love: “Mommy loves Daddy and Izzy”, ‘Sir loves Grams”, “Grandma loves Tim”, etc.¬† And to that end you are becoming more expressive about your own affections.¬† You say adorable things like, “Daddy, I’m sure glad you’re my Daddy” or “Daddy, I sure love you” or “Oh baby, I like your eyes.¬† They are beautiful” or “Mommy, I sure like playing with you!” Keep it up kid; you might get that pony after all!

I love when we are playing and all of the sudden you’ll demand we sit Indian style and cross our arms.¬† You then look at me and say one of two things; either, “So…what should we do now” or “I’ve got a good idea, Mommy.” From there you usually try to boss me around into doing whatever you have decided is our next move.¬† Recently, this has involved proceeding to your big kid bed, climbing under the covers, and waiting while you go get presents for me to open.¬† This game is a tad difficult to play well as the presents are always imaginary ones, but my reactions have to be geared toward whatever gift you see in your mind.¬† More than once I’ve been chastised that I am not responding correctly or I’ve named the wrong gift!

We’ve been transitioning from baths to showers of late.¬† This is really a result of your mother’s laziness as it is far easier to throw you in the shower, soap you down and rinse you off.¬† Two minutes and you are clean!¬† You love prancing around in the shower stall, but you are less a fan of me using the hand nozzle to rinse your hair.¬† As the water pours over your head you often yell out, “This is not good for me!”

Isabella, you are turning into quite the helper.¬† I cannot put a pot of water on the stove without you dragging a chair over and asking, ‘I can help too, Mommy.¬† Okay?”¬† You love to stir up ingredients or wash dishes.¬† If only the latter would last into your teen years!¬† When Daddy was disassembling your crib you were right there in his hip pocket helping and supervising the project.¬† Every time he’d carry a piece out of your room you would yell, “I’m right here, Daddy” as if to reassure him that if he needed your help you were just a yell away.

You had your first experiences with snow this winter.¬† Your first encounter was over Thanksgiving break in CO.¬† There was just enough snow for you to walk in, touch it, and taste it, which upon your initial, hesitant taste, “Snow tastes like…food.”

Based on your nonchalant attitude towards snow we figured it wasn’t your thing, but then came our Christmas vacation to IN and a lot of snow (at least by AZ standards) and you suddenly became a much bigger fan because you realized snow meant being pulled around in a sled, snow angels, and snowball fights with Sir!¬† All you could talk about after that second experience with snow, boots, and getting your coat on to go outside!

When you were born I couldn’t imagine loving you anymore than when your eyes first looked into mine; yet, here we are¬†nearly two and half years later and I am completely amazed at how the love I feel for you now completely diminishes that first love.¬† You are my pride and joy, Isabella.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

I don’t what your meal planning routine is like at your house, but here in the Woolsey household we have a fairly wide pendulum that swings between being very daring and trying a new recipe every night to sticking to the same basic meals week in and week out.¬† Brian and I both love to cook, but after a full day’s work, running errands, coaching for him, etc. sometimes cooking up another exciting meal is beyond us.¬† That doesn’t mean, however, that I am not constantly looking for easy to make meals that are cost efficient and tasty.

When Mom Central contacted me about participating in a blog tour for Rosarita Salsa I jumped on the chance.¬† We love salsa and I figured this would be a chance to try something new in the kitchen.¬† I was sent two of the three new salsas Rosarita’s created: Mild Salsa Mexicana (a mild Mexican salsa) and Medium Salsa Verde (a zesty, green salsa).¬† If you are a fan of spicier varieties of salsas don’t be dissuaded by the terms mild and medium as both my husband and I thought both salsas spicier than the normal mild and medium salsas sold in stores!

The other great thing about Rosarita’s new salsas is that while they are great for dipping they also work really well as a topper in Mexican dishes like tostadas, enchiladas, and tacos.¬† Part of the salsa package I was sent included two recipe suggestions for the salsas I was given to test.¬† One of the recipes was for Enchiladas Verdes (Green Enchiladas) using Rosarita’s Medium Salsa Verde.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 jar Rosarita Medium Salsa Verde, divided
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 12 corn tortillas (I substituted four for corn tortillas)
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375,¬† Spray 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.¬† Spread 1/4 cup of the salsa over the bottom of dish; set aside.
• Combine chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1/2 cup of the cheese in a medium bowl; mix well.¬† Set aside.
• Spray both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray.¬† Heat one at a time in skillet over medium-high heat on both sides until slightly puffy and softened.
• Top each tortilla evenly with about 1/4 cup chicken mixture; roll up.¬† Place seam-side down in prepared baking dish.¬† Cover with the remaining salsa; sprinkle with remaining cheese.¬† Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake 30 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly.

Both Brian and I really liked this recipe and found that it was even tastier when reheated the next day.  The salsa verde added just the right amount of spice and flavor to the chicken and cheese!

The other recipe I was provided with was for Spicy Chicken Tostadas using Rosarita’s Mild Salsa Mexicana.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) can Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans
• 12 tostada shells, heated according to package directions
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 4 cups thinly slied iceberg lettuce
• 1 jar Rosarita Mild Salsa Mexicana
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
• Fresh avocado, peeled and sliced, optional

Directions:

• Place beans in medium microwave-safe bowl.¬† Cover; microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until hot.
• Spread each tostada shell evenly with beans.¬† Top each with chicken, lettuce, salsa, and cheese.
• Serve with avocado slices, if desired.

I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe as I am not a fan of refried beans AT ALL!  The flavor of the salsa, chicken, cheese, and avocado blended nicely and did a great job of masking the taste of the beans.  This was a very quick and easy recipe and again, provided tasty leftovers for the next few days.

Overall, I highly recommend Rosarita’s new line of authentic Mexican salsas.¬† At $ 2.99-$3.29 for a 16.75 oz jar they are reasonably priced and do lend themselves very well to dipping and cooking!¬† The only downside to Rosarita’s new salsas is that they are only available in four cities- LA, Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver- at select Walmart and grocery stores.¬† If you live in one of Rosarita’s new markets you should definitely try out these new salsas!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Rosarita and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Today is the day of reckoning: at 3:30 this afternoon we will find out the baby’s gender.¬† I am one part excited and two parts nervous about the news.¬† It’s no secret I am a girl’s girl and have thoroughly enjoyed every. single. moment of raising a girl (thus far- get back to me when she turns thirteen!).¬† I know nothing of the world of trucks, toads, punches, broken limbs, and rumble tumble boys.¬† And, to be honest I really don’t want to.

Ultimately, I want what every parent wants: a healthy, intelligent, well-adjusted child.  Beyond that I am crossing my fingers and sending prayers heavenwards that we get all of that in another girl!

This time around we turned to the internets to see if we could do a little self-diagnosing and determine the baby’s sex ahead of time.¬† The Old Wives Tales to predict gender are vast, bizarre, and well, ¬†just plain hokey, but nonetheless very, very entertaining and, as you will see from the results, fairly accurate.

Test 1:  Pick up a key.  I picked it up by the round part.  The baby will be a boy.

Test 2: Coughing, numbers, letters, and names.¬† I coughed while eating, chose the number 25 which corresponds to Y, and picked a girl’s name.¬† The baby will be a girl.

Test 3: Previous child’s first word. Isabella said Daddy first (punk).¬† The baby will be a boy.

Test 4: Mother-to-be’s age and year of conception. Both were odd (31 and 2009).¬† The baby will be a girl.

Test 5: Salts vs. Sweets. I don’t really have cravings during pregnancy (no vats of cookie dough or fries for me), but in general I prefer salty things to sweets.¬† The baby will be a boy.

Test 6:  Tree trunks vs. Trim and Fit. My legs are far more trim and fit (thanks to running and spinning and genetics) than to tree trunks.  The baby will be a girl.

Test 7: Crabby vs. Cordial. I don’t really have major mood swings, pregnant or otherwise.¬† I do think I was fairly crabby towards many students during my first trimester; it is hard to say if that was due to pregnancy or dealing with immature freshmen all day.¬† The baby will be a boy.

Test 8: Heel vs. Middle. Again, another test about cravings.¬† I don’t like the heels of bread, so I had to choose the middle.¬† The baby will be a girl.

Test 9: Dry vs. Chapped. My hands are ALWAYS dry (despite obsessively slathering them in every hand lotion known to man).  The baby will be a boy.

Test 10: Eating vs. Throwing Up.  I have not had so much as a hint of morning sickness through both pregnancies.  The baby will be a boy.

Test 11: Pregnant all over vs. Pregnant in the front. During my first pregnancy, and thus far with the second, you cannot tell I am pregnant from behind.  The baby will be a boy.

Test 12:  Ring test. The ring swung around in circles.  The baby will be a boy.

Test 13: Clumsy vs. Graceful.¬† I don’t know if I would ever be described as graceful, but I’m not exactly falling all over myself, so I went with graceful.¬† The baby will be a girl.

Test 14: Heartbeat. Isabella’s heart rate was always in the 140’s.¬† So far Baby Woolsey #2’s heartbeat has been 145.¬† The baby will be a girl.

Test 15:¬† Interest Amongst the Toddler Set. The boys at Isabella’s school love to talk to me and vie for my attention whenever I arrive to pick her up.¬† The baby will be a girl.

Test 16:  Ask your current child. Isabella says we are going to have a baby sister and then we are going to have a treat.  The baby will be a girl.

The results: 16 very scientific tests later it’s a virtual tie.¬† Eight tests say the baby will be a boy and eight tests say the baby will be a girl. 16 tests later we know what we knew when we¬†started: we have a 50/50 chance of having a boy or girl!

Your challenge: In the comment section tell us your prediction for Baby Woolsey’s gender.¬† We will contact you with the joyous news ¬†in the order in which you comment!