Addison Mae - 22 months

This sweet girl of mine is so big and so smart. She is speaking in sentences ... make that paragraphs. She can literally say everything (including repeating that something "sucked" after hearing her dad say it ... oops!) Though she is shy and sometimes clingy in new situations, she is such a social butterfly. She loves to say hello to people and especially to say thank you. If I teach her nothing else in this life, I hope it is to be grateful. She has officially developed a fear of thunder, thanks to the insane weather we've had. And officially is a little fish who would live in the water if we'd let her. Our recent trip to the beach was likely the highlight of her life. Upon opening her eyes every morning or after naptime, she immediately said, "I go swimming." Our precious girl is in for a big change come December, when she'll be a big sister. She loves to talk about the baby, but does not love that her mommy has been sick, tired and unable to carry her as much as usual. We're already praying that she adjusts to this new person well and quickly!

Weight: ~22 lbs
Length: ~30 inches

New things this month:

• Getting ready to be a big sister. I know she'll be wonderful, and we have lots of time still to prepare, but literally our first thought when we found out I was pregnant is, "What will Addie do???" She doesn't love to share, especially her two favorite people. But she does love babies. Here's hoping those two will balance out! She already loves to talk to and hug my tummy - she calls the baby "my tiny baby" and tells me often that the baby is growing in there. Where does she get this stuff???
• Going to the beach for the first time. Addie's expression when she first stepped onto the sand and saw the ocean was one I will never forget. Pure joy. She chased the birds and ran right up to the water's edge to yell, "Hi, water!!!" She loved collecting shells, swimming in the ocean and playing in the splash pad at our resort.
• Worrying. So this isn't new, and she comes by it naturally, but she sure does a lot of it. When she saw Jordan swim underwater for the first time, when anyone has an "owie," when she hears thunder, when she sees a bug, when anyone else touches her toys .... and on and on and on.
• Talking even more about emotions - especially happy and sad.
• Girl's got a pretty accurate throw with a ball ... and pretty hard, too! Future pitcher?
• I don't even know that I can accurately describe the talking ... she recently told the pharmacist in the drive-thru, "Don't pick your nose lady," at the airport, she saw a guy with long hair and said to me, "That nice man. Or maybe lady?", "I go swimming - put on swimsuit and jacket," "Not time go yet - tomorrow," "I look so pretty."
• Calling us by our first names when she needs something - especially if Jordan or I call for each other to do something. "Jordan, change my diaper," "Erin, bring daddy soap."

Likes:

• Being funny and silly. She loves to make us laugh by dancing like a crazy person, using her sense of humor or teasing us.
• Her baby dolls. Especially baby Julia, who is a Dollar General or Target special that has since lost all her clothes and is named after our friends Sarah and Brian's baby girl. All babies are now named baby Julia.
• Playing outside. All the time. Especially if there is water.
• Playing kitchen remains near and dear to her heart. Especially if Play-Dough is involved.
• Getting dressed up for church and running to show her daddy how pretty she looks.
• Playing anything and everything with her daddy. She clearly knows he's where the fun is. The two of them together makes my heart happy.
• Getting back to her favorite milk product - cheese. And all cheese products.
• Taking a bath in mommy's big bathtub.  
• Going to Target or Sam's or the grocery store. I don't understand it either.
• Talking about airplanes and going to the airport. She cried when we left the airport to come home because she wanted to stay there.
• Going to the library and checking out books. Then reading them constantly until I can't stand it anymore and have to take them back to get new ones. She loves the book drop, too.
• Going back to Starbright for the summer (I'm pretty happy about this one, too!)
• Her bubble lawn mower. And anything else that makes bubbles.

Dislikes:

• Green beans. 
• Listening when being told to do or not do something she doesn't agree with.

Addison Mae - 21 months

Addie is officially almost 2 years old, which she likes to make sure we know by saying "no" a lot, throwing temper tantrums and insisting on her way. Thankfully her sweet kisses, funny sense of humor and constant singing and dancing totally make up for it. We say a lot ... "thank goodness she's cute." Addie wrapped up her last day in the one-year-old room at school and will move up this summer. Her teachers still can't believe how much she is talking. And say they're glad not everyone talks as much as she does (I know ... it's exhausting!) I'm going to miss her wonderful teachers but I'm excited that she's grown and learned (and clearly talked) enough to move up. We visited my Mawmaw in Houson in April, which Addie loved. She also loves that the weather has been nice enough that we can play outside almost every evening. When Jordan comes home she often says, "Daddy home! Outside!" I know I say this a lot, but this beautiful girl of mine is brilliant. Even in the midst of her orneriness and stubborness, I'm proud of her independent streak and her need to figure things out for herself. And, let's be honest, she does get those traits somewhere ...

Weight: ~22 lbs
Length: ~30 inches

New things this month:

• No more paci! Hallelujah! Now let me be clear that I was perfectly prepared for her to keep that thing till she was 21 if it made sleeping (for all of us) easier. But she rejected it for a few days at school so we tried taking it away at home, too. We had a couple nights where she asked for it at bedtime ... and one middle-of-the-night multiple hour screaming episode, but we all lived through it. And she's sleeping so much better than she ever has before. Putting herself to sleep easily and sleeping all night long. It's a miracle, people.
• Using her favorite phrases over and over: No, Addie do it, I do it self, No Mommy, No touch Daddy, No do it Mommy, Addie turn, No, no, no, no, no ... you get the idea.
• Saying approximately 1,000 word phrases. OK, not really ... but she can literally say anything she wants to, including: Oklahoma, Mommy fall down hurt knee, I see birdie right there, I hit Izzy go time out, I did play friends, I go party, I know Daddy is (which means don't know), Daddy are you come here!, Mommy go Addie, Daddy work (this makes her poor Daddy sad), Mommy pick up Addie school (this makes Mommy very happy) ...
• Getting in and out of her carseat by herself. And getting really, really mad if we try to help.

• "Helping" more around the house. She has started feeding Izzy and is an excellent helper in telling us when Izzy is low on food or water. She also likes to help unload the dishwasher.
• Time out in the corner rather than her crib. This is sort of working ... except for the part where sometimes she puts herself in time out. Sometimes it's for a valid reason (and Jordan likes to remind me that although she gets lots of her orneriness from him, he would have never voluntarily put himself in time out) and sometimes she just likes to sit in the corner. I'm pretending like this is her learning how to remove herself from situations.
• "Reading" her books to me. She knows most of her books by name and likes to turn the pages herself and "read" to me. Some are so short, and she's heard them so many times, that she can actually do a pretty good job.

Likes:

• Singing. Constantly. This just warms my heart. It she hears a song a few times, she can sing it. Or sometimes she just makes up words or nonsense to the tune. Reminds me a little of myself. She usually asks for Jesus Loves Me at bedtime (which she sings with me) but the other night requested Oklahoma.
• Playing outside. I think her head almost exploded when we went over to a neighbors' house this weekend - they have a huge swingset/slide and a trampoline. Addie's version of heaven.
• Getting really, really, really close to the swimming pool in Grammie and Pawpaw's back yard. Grammie and Mommy may have heart attacks by the end of the summer.
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which she can request by name. We have at least 537 episodes on our DVR. I have seen all of them.
• I haven't mentioned favorite foods in a while, except for breakfast crack, which she asks for almost every day. Other favorites are pancakes (especially if they include "topit tips" - chocolate chips), beans, turkey, pretty much any kind of fruit, tortillas, hummus and peas. She'll take a bite or two of sweets, but she's not usually very interested.
• Babies. Unless her Mommy is touching them.
• Counting to ten and sort of to twenty ... eleven, twelve, firteen, eleventeen, twenty. I love her.
• Talking about her people. When we're going anywhere, she wants to know who is coming with her and who's going to be there. If someone's not going to be there (like Daddy or Pawpaw) she needs to know why and where they're going to be instead.
• Pushing buttons. She especially loves to push the handicap button at church to open the main doors. When I tell her we're going to school/church, her immediate response is always, "I push the button, Mommy." As if I may have forgotten she needs to do that every time.

Dislikes:

• Not getting her way.
• Time out. Unless she puts herself there.
• Night night time.

Same question, different answer

I thought once I figured out "my" answer to the do I work full time/part time/stay at home debate that I'd be done with it. I was wrong.

I've been struggling, wrestling, beating myself up over my decision to work part time for months. I've had a great opportunity, with a great company, with great people in the field I've been trained in. But for me, something was still amiss.

Don't get me wrong, there have been (many) days I couldn't wait to get out the door to drop Addie off at school and have my own time with other adults at work. So nice to eat my lunch in peace and quiet without someone flinging their food at me. So nice to do something that was all mine, that I'm pretty good at.

But then I realized something. I'm pretty darn good at being a mom, too. I have lots and lots (and lots) of shortcomings. I yell. I get frustrated. I get sick of my kid and want to give her away. But I hear that's normal. And I love her more than I ever thought I could love someone. I liked my job. But I realized that to spend time away from my little person, I needed to really, really love my job.

All along, I've had the opportunity (and the support from Jordan) to stay home full time. Knowing I have that opportunity (and how many would do anything for that opportunity) made me realize I need to take it, grab hold with both hands and soak up every second I can before my baby girl is no longer a baby who needs (and wants) my attention every moment. I have my whole life to work. I only have a few years to teach, mold and spend time with my baby.

I know this decision isn't for everyone. And honestly I didn't think it was for me. I've been fighting it for months. Who will I be if I don't have a "career"? What will I say when people ask me what I do for a living? What will the professionals I've worked with over the past eight years think about me? And what about all those times I completely couldn't understand why someone would want to stay home full time? That was me before I took my first look at Addie and all was lost, in a good way.

So I'm scared. Really scared. About losing myself, about losing touch with the "real" world, about losing relationships that have been important to me and, let's be honest, about losing face with people I know won't understand. Will I ever be able to re-enter the full-time working world, if that's what I choose to do? Am I signing my own career-death-warrant at age 30? Is Addie going to drive me really-and-truly insane?

I'm working (hard) to get over all of that. I've realized that sometimes I've just got to rely on faith and jump, without knowing what the future is going to hold. And that's got to be OK. I'm trying to concentrate on the present, and when I do that, I realize I'm really excited about having more time with my girl.

Those fears about losing touch with the industry I've loved have been assauged a bit with some well-timed freelance PR/writing/design opportunities. I think that may be a good option to keep me as sane as is possible as I jump on the crazy train that is stay-at-home-motherhood.

I've said before and I'll say again that I feel really fortunate to have had the choice about what I want to do. And I feel fortunate that I've gotten to know myself a whole lot better since I became a mom, even if what I've found wasn't at all what I was expecting. I'm really proud of my control-freak, plan-everything-in-advance self that I've taken this seemingly-blind leap.

I'm giving all those plans and worries of mine to God (and yes, I have to give them back pretty much every day) because I know His plans for me and my family are far greater. After praying for months without any clear answers, I've slowly been receiving some quiet reassurances that this is the right decision.

So, I'm officially jumping into the next phase of my life. Erin Page. Stay at home mom.

Addison Mae - 20 months

20 months. That's almost 2 years old. Although Addie's talking, vocabulary and bossing skills would make one think she was closer to 15. Addie had a fabulous Easter, although she cared even less for the Easter bunny than she did Santa. She did, however, like that he came to our house (and that she didn't have to see him) and left goodies. She's asked me several times since if he happened to come again. She loved dying eggs, making cookies with me and hunting eggs at every opportunity. She really loved it when the eggs had snacks in them. Her music class is winding down for the spring, and I think she'll probably keep asking me every day when we're going to see Miss Julie again. We may unexpectedly end up at her front door. Addie has had fewer and fewer doctor's appointment lately (thank God), and a recent trip to the ENT was pretty successful (infection had cleared up and tears didn't last long). She told her doctor repeatedly, "Sticker, sticker," which meant, get this over with already and give me my dang sticker! I am so proud of my sweet girl, even when I'm exhausted by her energy and occasional frustration when she doesn't get her way. I just hope I can continue to keep up!

Weight: ~22 lbs
Length: ~30 inches

New things this month:

• Saying Grammie. Finally. She hasn't really started calling my mom Grammie yet, but the first step was just getting her to say the word.
• Some of my favorite new words and phrases are: I find it, I hide it, I eat it, Addie do self, Good morning! (which is said in the morning, afternoon and evening - in her world, it means something similar to I love you), Mia lick hand, See Mawmaw airplane (She's been telling everyone this lately because we're going to see Mawmaw later this week. Yep, smart.), Happy birthday to you, mommy (not my birthday), Mommy change diaper (hers, not mine), Mommy come here!, I like it, Izzy chase Mia, No Mommy sing (she's already realized I'm not so good at this skill ...), huggies and kisses
• She really likes to talk about what she sees people doing - man running, dog walking, baby crying, girl laughing, Mommy sleeping (I wish). And she likes to tell me what she's doing too - including Addie poo-poo.
• An obsession with happy and sad. She loves to ask which I am, and requires appropriate facial expressions. She especially loves to say no when I ask her to do something and then ask, "Mommy sad?" Then she'll do said thing and yell, "Mommy happy!!" Especially relevant when I ask for a kiss.
• Exploring more art. New things have been play-dough, sidewalk chalk and watercolor painting. And Easter egg dying, during which she also dyed both hands.
• Playing more with baby dolls. Rocking, feeding, putting them night-night. A little less flinging them about.

• More singing. She likes to sing her songs right in Miss Julie's face in music class. You know, to be sure Miss Julie realizes how smart she is. Watching her is like looking into a mirror. She loves to tell me which song to sing to her before bed. And she can sing pretty much anything after she hears it a few times. Perhaps she'll be better at this than her mommy.
• "Helping" around the house. We've been trying to give her a few things to do since she (clearly) likes her independence and doing things for herself. So far her favorite jobs are getting a new trash bag out of the pantry and letting Izzy in/out. I am holding out hope for that day when she can do the dishes.

Likes:

• Singing and dancing.
• Talking about her friends.
• Playing outside. I think the best day in Addie's life was the day we went to the park, planted our vegetable garden, ran around the back yard and then gave Izzy a bath. She would live outside if we'd let her.
• Ring Around the Rosey, especially with Izzy.
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And talking about all the characters like they're her best friends.
• Parties.
• Counting. One, three, ten!
• Bossing.
• Sitting in a big-girl chair at the table, which she typically climbs into herself.
• Breakfast crack. A staple breakfast food, courtesy of my friend Brenda. A lb of sausage browned, a brick of cream cheese (or the non-dairy variety at our house) stirred into the sausage, divvied and rolled up into 2 packages of crescent rolls. She asks me every morning, "Breakfast crack?"

Dislikes:

• Not getting her way.
• When mommy tries to talk to anyone else, diverting attention away from her.
• When daddy leaves for work.

Addison Mae - 19 months

I can neither comprehend how this girl of mine was the tiny baby in my belly, and then the new creature we brought home a year and a half ago... that has now become this whirling dirvish that will soon be 2 whole years old. Insanity. Addie still really, really dislikes the doctor and tells me every day, at least once, "no doctor." Anytime we go anywhere unfamiliar, she assumes we're going to the doctor and protests (loudly) until she's sure the coast is clear. She still really, really likes going to the park, talking about her friends, "playing soccer" (our version of hall ball ... except in the entry way and with the added benefit of a crazed dog), playing night night (basically jumping on our bed and/or seeing how many people/animals she can get there at one time) and watching Mickey Mouse. She talks a lot. All the time. Though often she still needs a translator (me) ... Jordan yells, "Erin! Translate please!" She gets really frustrated if I can't translate, which thankfully doesn't happen too often. She is super bossy, which, I know, she comes by naturally. I love seeing her sense of independence grow, but I also like that in new situations, she still needs me for a little comfort and reassurance. I love that she still loves to snuggle and is now saying "I love you" and totally understanding what she's saying to us. "I love you, mama" is truly the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Or "I love you, too" when I drop her off at school.

Weight: 21 lbs 12 oz
Length: 30 inches

New things this month:

• Some of my favorite new words and phrases are: Addie do it/Addie did it, Addie find it, right here, Mama/Dada ... are you? (calling "where are you?"), Izzy come!, caterpillar, Addie lap (declaring that my lap is for her alone), blankie, coffee, shoulder, whoopsie daisy, uh-oh spaghetti-o's, Daddy home!, Addie house/Debbi house (she always asks my mom where they are going when she picks her up from school), airplane, music dance (which means somebody turn on some music so I can dance)
• Singing her ABCs pretty accurately. She's brilliant. Other new favorite songs include Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Baa Baa Black Sheep and Happy Birthday (happy to you!). I love that while she's eating breakfast or sitting in her car seat, she'll just randomly break out in song.
• Counting to 10. Sort of. Her favorite numbers are one, three, eight, nine, ten ... so sometimes that's how we get to 10.
• An obsession with babies. As in real ones. (She still doesn't quite understand the concept of mothering her babies at home). She really wants to touch them. As long as her mama doesn't touch them. She REALLY doesn't like it when other babies cry. Very concerning.

 Likes:

• The park. Sliding. Yelling "Wheeeeeee!" anytime we drive past a park.
• Looking for airplanes in the sky.
• Dance parties
• Saying, "Hi people" to strangers or cars going by. As long as they don't try to come near her/touch her, she's good.
• Looking for birds in the sky and yelling "Go birdies go!" We may have stood in the Target parking lot a time or two yelling this at the top of our lungs and gotten a few strange looks ...
• Miss Julie and music school. Especially playing Ring Around the Rosey at the end and getting stamps. And impressing Miss Julie.
• Playing soccer, aka hall ball.
• Playing with her Easter eggs and basket. Which mostly means scattering them all over the wood floors for the cat to play with/hide all over the house.
• Going to parties. She yells "PARTY!!!!" when we tell her we're going to one. Maybe that's what I should start telling her when we're going to the doctor ...

Dislikes:

• Not being the center of attention. Which she displays by hitting, pulling hair, pinching, biting, etc. Whatever works. She gets to go to time out a lot still.
• Ear drops.

 

Addison Mae - 18 months

 

How is my girl a year-and-a-half old already?! I think she officially has more words in her vocabulary than I do. She says everything, including, "no doctor," "no medicine," "no Tylenol," "no ears" and "no nose." Clearly we've had a bit of a rough month. She's so smart that she says "no doctor" any time she hears me say the word doctor, when we pull into the parking lot at his office and she even said it when I was on the phone with one of the nurses. And sometimes just for good measure. After several weeks of being healthy (yay!) she got a cold, sinus infection, double ear infection and stomach virus, pretty much all at once in true Addie style. Her ears were actually completely clogged, which meant a super fun visit to her ENT for him to suck out her ears for the longest 15 minutes of my life. Thankfully, he was able to culture them and tell us that the lack of bacteria likely means her ear/respiratory issues are caused by reflux, which we've dealt with before but had no idea she was still suffering from. So, daily doses of Zantac and no more dairy is our plan for now. After a week of feeling really, really great after that insanity, she's now got a flu-like virus. Whew. How people have kids and accomplish anything else ever is completely beyond me. In other news, she also really likes to tell me no, tell the dog no, tell the cat no and even tell herself no. I can tell what I've been telling her no about by what she repeats to everyone else. She loves to slide and swing, be chased around the house, ride in her wagon, play games, sing songs, listen to her music and give the sweetest, slobberiest kisses in the world. She is seriously obsessed with her friends, and she loves to talk about them all the time. Make no mistake that when she names her friends, Elmo is at the top of the list.

Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz
Length: 29 1/2 inches

New things this month:

• More multiple word phrases, including the "no doctor" etc above. "No bark Izzy/Cowboy," "no lick Izzy," "no milk Mia" (when she's inspecting Addie's cup) and I'm sure to be clear that she's in charge of all of them. Also "Addie mama" anytime I hold or touch any other babies, or even our dog and cat, just to be clear that I belong to her and her alone. Another of my recent favorites was "more strawberries please mama." Her "I love you" is actually starting to sound like the real words. "Play kitchen" means it's time to head to the playroom.

• My favorite recent words are: blueberries, strawberries, yucky (which she says about 37 times per day ... about anything on her hands she doesn't like, food she doesn't want to try, etc), Mickey Mouse (and all his friends... this is usually accompanied by her shoving the remote in my face to turn Mickey Mouse on TV), hummus, vacuum, whiskers, owie, mustache, sock, pants (she is typically declaring "no pants," which I hope she gets over before she's a teenager ...), diaper, whoopsie (my very favorite), muffin
• Calling Mia and Izzy from across the house. She calls "Mia, Mia, Sopapilla" (yeah, apparently that's what I call her). Calling Jordan or me from across the house. My favorite is when we ask where one of her toys or books is and she calls said item "Monkey!" "Elmo" "Go Dog Go!"
• Calling my mom Debbi. Hilarious.
• Calling my parents dog and cat and Jordan's parents' dog by their rightful names, rather than just Izzy or Mia.
• An obsession with the park in our neighborhood. We can see it from our house, and if she gets a glance, she asks to go until we pretty much have no choice but to take her. Jordan caught her running halfway across the open lot next to us, on her way to the park by herself. She LOVES to slide (all by herself!) and swing. She does not love when Izzy accompanies us to the park because she does far too much barking for Addie's taste.
• Music class, which we go to every Tuesday morning at Edmond Fine Arts Institute. There are four other kids in the class, all boys and all at least a year older. She loves this class. She loves to impress her teacher. She also loves to do her own thing and rifle through instruments or enjoy a snack while everyone else is paying attention. Clear which she gets from which parent. They get to play with fun instruments, sing consistent songs each time (perfect for my sweet OCD girl), play peekaboo, play Ring Around the Rosey and get stamps at the end of each class. It's crazy, but I can totally tell that she's singing much more and noticing music a lot more. We listen to her CD from this class anytime we're in the car. Which actually means we listen to the first song on the CD (her favorite) over and over and over. If you try to change to another song, she says "more lalalala" quite insistently until it's required that you oblige.
• No more dairy, per her reflux, which actually hasn't been too painful. The switch to almond milk took about three days, during which time she told me her milk was yucky and asked for the milk with the "moo moo" on the front. Easy transition to non-dairy cheese, too. Now we're focusing on making sure her snacks, other foods, etc. are dairy-free. We're planning to try this for the next 3-6 months to see if it makes a difference. Perhaps I am a little anxious for this to work, but it already seems to have made a difference in her attitude and overall health.
• Her first haircut, which went surprisingly well. Just a few tears and protests. Thankfully it seems to have somewhat calmed her unruly mop (sorry, kiddo) and caused it to fill in a little more.

\ 

Likes:

• Coloring. We color no less than 12 times per day. And she prefers to have all 64 crayons out of the box to color with. Coloring isn't really worth it if not also accompanies by stickers.
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We also watch this about 12 times per day. She wants to see the opening song and then fast forward directly to the Hot Dog Dance at the end. She dances and sings "hot dog, hot dog." Sure to bring a smile to my face every time.
• Singing and dancing.
• Playing "ashes ashes" (ring around the rosey)
• Her microphone. No surprise there. Miss Julie at music school has a microphone, and since she thinks Miss Julie is especially cool, she clearly needed a microphone, too.
• Pushing Elmo, Ernie and other dolls around in her grocery cart. She just doesn't understand why she can't get in there, too.
• Making "calls" on her play phones, our cell phones, remote controls or her hand. Her phone calls are almost always made to her Pawpaw.
• Books. I love that she loves to be read to. She even knows the names of several of her favorites and will ask for them by name.
• Her people. I love the way she talks about and loves on her grandparents and close family. I also love that she calls our brother-in-law "Beard"

Dislikes:

• The doctor. Being poked and prodded. Being held down for the administration of medicine, a diaper, a kiss ... pretty much anything.
• Anyone else touching her mama.
• A new aversion to loud noises. Apparently from the sucking sound of having her ears cleaned out.

I heart soup

I am a soup person. Jordan is not. I think I'm getting close to converting him. Anytime I tell him I'm making soup for dinner, I have to remind him not to turn his nose up. (PS He loves all the recipes below ... he just has a strange aversion to the word soup, I guess.)

Zuppa Tuscana
I am obsessed with this soup. I got the recipe from my friend Lexy (who has since totally revamped the way she eats - her awesome blog is here), so I like to joke that she probably never makes this soup anymore. But put bacon in anything and I'm totally there. And I've made a few tweaks to lighten it up a bit. Which in no way shape or form means removing the bacon.
1 lb sausage (I use lean sausage)
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped (I probably use half)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 quart chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (with or without skins)
2 C shredded kale (this recipe began my love affair with kale)
1/8-1/4 t crushed red pepper
1/3 C heavy whipping cream (I use soy milk instead)
Brown sausage, drain fat, remove from pan. Fry bacon until crisp (really crisp), remove and drain all but 1 T bacon fat. Crumble the bacon. Add onions and cook until soft; add garlic and cook for one minute. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes or till potatoes are tender. Return the cooked sausage and bacon to the pot. Add the kale and crushed red pepper and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the cream (or soy milk!) till heated through.
If you have extra kale, PLEASE do yourself a favor and bake it. Shred and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, till crispy. I love this as a side to pretty much anything, but it's especially great with soups of any kind, burgers or hot dogs (instead of chips) or tuna cakes.

Baked Potato Soup
I LOVE this soup. Thanks to my friend Sara Crawford for introducing it to me several years ago. It took me several times of making it to perfect my seasonings and the cut of my potatoes, but now it's seriously perfect. For those who know Charleston's baked potato soup, this is very similar.
3-4 potatoes, cubed (think bite size) with/without skins (I remove skins because Jordan has an aversion to those, too)
28 oz chicken broth
2 T minced onion (I used probably double)
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t parsley
1/2 t garlic (I mince 2-3 cloves of fresh instead)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
6 T butter or margarine
1/2 C flour
3 C milk (I use soy and it's still fabulous)
In large pot, bring chicken broth, minced onions (and garlic if using), oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and buetter to a boil. Add potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. In mixing bowl, slowing add milk to flour and whisk until smooth. Stir flour and milk mixture into pot. Cover and let simmer for 30 min over low heat, stirring occasionally. Check that potatoes are fork tender - if not, continue cooking and check in 3-5 minute increments.
*I at least double all the spices above and as noted use fresh garlic instead.
Garnish with cheddar cheese, bacon and chives.
I love this soup with broccoli (plain steamed or like this) and garlic cheddar biscuits.

My Dad's Chili
I love that my dad makes chili. And I love this chili.
1 lb ground beef, browned (ground turkey is great, too)
1 can pinto beans (I've been using the Grillin' Beans pinto beans with jalepenos here - highly recommend)
1 can rotel tomatoes
Diced onion (I used about a quarter to a half of a small onion)
Chili powder to taste
1 can tomato paste
Brown the meat and when almost done, throw in the onions and cook till tender. Add the pinto beans, rotel, tomato paste and chili powder. Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes.
I sometimes add sliced jalepeno sausage, too. You know, if you need a little more kick. I buy them at Sam's (they're already cooked), slice and add when I've got about 10-15 minutes left on the chili - just so they warm all the way through.
Jordan loves this chili with Fritos and diced red onion on top, I love with cornbread.

Taco Soup
I know, everyone makes this. And I love it. Had it for dinner tonight in fact. It's so easy and filling.
1 lb ground beef, browned (I actually prefer ground turkey in mine)
1 can pinto beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can corn (or equivalent frozen)
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix
Other than browning the beef, this is literally just opening cans and dumping everything into a pot. Makes me so happy. I usually simmer on low for about 30 minutes and serve with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro and avocado slices.

Two of my other go-to soups are from my friend Sara Crawford's blog - both are crockpot recipes with makes me very happy. Here is her blog with both the Chicken and Dumplings and Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice recipes.