Our budding Dr Doolittles

Last weekend, while Daddy went golfing, the kids and I spent the morning and early afternoon at the zoo. It was kind of a surreal experience from the moment we walked it. First thing, as we walked in, the monkeys were going nuts, making lots of noise. Since we'd seen them already several times, we decided to head the other direction to the as-of-yet-unvisited portion of the zoo. Our first stop was the koalas. My first impression was the adorable baby being held in his momma's arms who was eating some leaves for breakfast. The kids however, seemed more interested in the koalas in the glass rooms. As they walked up to the rail and looked in, the koala inside stopped what he was doing and gave them his undivided attention.

I thought it was interesting at the time, but as the day progressed it kept happening. At the giraffe area they stopped eating to come greet us. The elephant turned and watched us the whole time we were there as if he had something to say. The snow leopard came down and paced in front of us against the bars of his cage. The orangutans were leaning up against the glass right by us too. Even a turtle crawled up to the wall we were leaning over to watch him. One of the oddest things though was the reptile house. Of course some of the snakes were asleep, as you would expect most of them to be. BUT, several of them worked their way toward the glass and even crawled up it where the kids were leaning against it to watch.

My favorite experience though was the gorillas. As the kids were standing against the glass, two gorillas (I'm guessing a big sister and baby brother) made their way over to the glass and began quite a show of rough-housing right there in front of us. They were so cute and the show went on for at least 10 minutes.

I'm not saying my little ones are animal whisperers or anything. We've been to the zoo a few times before this and they were pretty "normal" experiences as zoo visits go. All I'm saying is this particular visit was exceptional by my standards.

Our First Snow

This morning we woke up to a blanket of white outside our windows. Although he was excited to see it through the window, the second he stepped out the door our little man wanted nothing to do with it and cried to be picked up. Maybe it had something to do with me wrapping him up like the little brother on Christmas Story...

I can't help it

Okay, I admit it. Admitting is the first stage of recovery, right? I am ADDICTED to the Twilight series books. A friend of mine bought me the first book for my birthday and I read it in under a week. I saw her on Wednesday and I borrowed book #2 (she's moderately addicted, nowhere near my affliction). I finished it last night. 600 pages. In two days. To my defense, I don't neglect work around the house or my family to find time to read. I read at night....until 2 in the morning...I can't help it. I just CANT but the book down. Stephanie Meyer (the author) has a way of sucking you into the next chapter, then the next, then the next, until you look up and it's 4 hours later. Now that I've finished reading #2, I simply MUST find the third book. Soon.

For any of you looking for a new series to read, I highly recommend it. It's an easy read (obviously, since I'm doing it). When I was younger I read a lot of the Anne Rice series but I like these better. In the last few years have read the Shopaholic series (also started when I received the first as a gift and it finished quickly). It's not like I'm a habitual reader though. Quite to the contrary in fact. I am however, biting at the bit to be able to see the movie, which I promised the friend who gifted me the first Twilight series book that I'd wait for her to see it with me. Otherwise, I'd have seen it already...maybe more than once. It's my current addiction but I'm okay with it.

Ready for Christmas

There's several things we enjoy doing during the Christmas season. One of these things is to set up the manger on our mantle. We make a point of getting the kids excited about it by lifting them up and showing them the sheppards, wise men, animals and Joseph & Mary. We ask them to look for baby Jesus and when they are unable to find him we explain that he doesn't show up until Christmas eve. So then every day it seems, they ask to be lifted up to look for Baby Jesus in the manger. The oldest knows that Christmas is baby Jesus' birthday and when he's not in the manger when she looks she says "Nope, it's not his birthday yet!" It's pretty cute.
Another of our family traditions is a trip to get a live Christmas tree. As practical as a artificial tree may be, there's just nothing that compares with the smell of a live tree and the fun involved in searching for the perfect one. This year we got a nice big noble fir. Both kids were old enough to help hang the (unbreakable) ornaments. Although our little man showed little interest, his sister took on the job with gusto and loved it. Only after the tree was essentially complete did he decide he wanted to help and began bringing his toys in and laying them on all available branches. It's also a tradition that Daddy does the very last tree decoration - the star on top.
Last year I found a board book of "The Night Before Christmas" so this year we've begun the tradition of reading it several times to the kids as well. I leave it on the coffee table so it is always within reach for them and they bring it to us often to have it read to them. The oldest has kind of grasped the idea of Santa this year and I'm so excited to share this season with them both.

What's for dinner?

Daddy & I have a thing for thai food so last night we tried a new recipe I got from one of my magazines this month. It's Thai Chicken salad, and it was yummy.

First, for the dressing, mix together peanut butter, red wine vinaigrette, lime juice, garlic & chili-garlic sauce (use this sparingly as it is very hot). Then in a different bowl mix shredded chicken, cilantro, mint, diced red & green peppers and seeded/diced cucumber. Toss the dressing into the bowl with chicken mixture. Spread out some butter lettuce on the plate. Then top with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with chopped cashews & crispy noodles.

This was really easy to do and relatively healthy so that's a plus. Because of the chili-garlic sauce, the dressing heat builds on itself so Daddy & I drank more water than usual but both finished a full plate of salad happily. I didn't put the dressing on the salad for the kids and they each ate a full plate of salad too.

A Great End to November

We spent Thanksgiving with lots of family who live out of town, that we seldom get to see, so that was a great start to our last weekend in November. The next day, we went with some friends to see a Christmas lights show and fireworks to start our Christmas season. From there we headed to Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa's house for another family gathering on Saturday. To top it all off, today we put away anything Thanksgiving and brought out the boxes of Christmas decorations. Although we weren't able to get it decorated yet, we found the perfect Christmas tree and the kids are just overjoyed to be helping put out and see all of the holiday decorations. It's weekends like this that are better gifts than anything you could ever buy in a store.

Ribbon Trees

This year, I went to a craft fair-type-thing with a friend of mine and took home the cutest idea. It was the perfect craft for our little girl to help me with so we made three and gave them to our three local grandmas. Unfortunately for her two grandmas who are out of state, they don't travel far very well or we'd have made five of them.
You only need 4 things and you can get all of them from your local craft store:
1) ribbon - have your toddler pick out 5-6 rolls of coordinating spools
2) a foam cone
3) a terra cotta pot
4) a box of pins
Here's what you do: Wrap the ribbon around your 3 middle fingers and cut it by your thumb & pinky finger so that you wind up with lots of pieces that are 3-4" long. Give all of the pieces to your toddler and let him/her play with them long enough that they get really mixed up (it shouldn't take long). Ask your toddler to pick a piece of fabric. They'll come to you randomly, which is what you want. Wrap the fabric in a circle and use the pin to stick it to the cone. Repeat this until the entire cone is covered in ribbon circles. If you are so inclined, use a dowel to secure the cone to the pot or a hot glue gun to adhere it. I didn't do this because I wanted it to be able to be stored more easily. That's it! Easy cheesy and it's basically the toddler's creation since they picked the ribbon and order that they were attached. I think they turned out SO cute and my little sweetheart was excited all week about giving them to her grandmas. We signed & dated the bottom of the pot for a little personalization but I suppose you could have the toddler decorate it too.

Blanket Forts

Everybody loves them. You just really can't get away with doing it to your living room unless you're under 10 years old. In this case, Daddy lucked out and got to make one for the kids...

What's bugging us

Sesame Street this week gave Mommy a great idea. There was an episode that was based primaily on bugs. Both kids were interested and the oldest talked about all the bugs she knew of for most of the day. SO...we decided to the river Sunday afternoon on a search for bugs. Daddy packed a hammer to dig into logs with and mommy & both kids had clear containers to hold their prisoners for further inspection. Try as we might however, we couldn't find a SINGLE BUG. NOT ONE. We saw two miniscule spiders for a split second a piece, but they were so small (I'm talking, as small as a tic-tac including legs) that there was no use in chasing them further into the dirt. What a disappointment.

I will have you know, that there are thousands of bugs that live along that river. When we're hiking and spending the day there on all other occasions, they are everywhere and have an uncanny ability to show themselves at the most inopportune times. They often times will not leave us alone. Perhaps it was too late in the day (shadows were falling) or too late in the season (although we were all in jeans & tees). Whatever the reason, they seem to have eluded us. We have vowed not to be defeated however and will find some around the backyard at our house for our little ones' inspection if we have to. All you bugs out there beware - we're coming for you!

What's for dinner?

This week I plan to make the following new recipe. I am a big fan of the "A Year of Crockpotting" website and got the idea from there. Here's what I'm going to do:

Put chopped up chicken, black beans, broth, sliced mushrooms, corn, a jar of salsa, and a little cumin in a crockpot (in that order, don't mix). Let that cook on low for 6-8 hours. Use an immersible blender to blend a bit of the chicken & beans on the bottom (just to thicken the soup - don't blend it all). Stir in a little sour cream before serving and top with cheese, avocado & tortilla strips. MMMM....okay, now I have a craving for it and I HAVE to make it tonight.

Thanksgiving playdate

Our mom's group had a potluck last week for the kids. There were games to play and we made turkey headbands and hand-turkey cards. There were loads of toys to be played with, pumpkins to pound golf tees into, a sandbox and hay bales to climb on/under. Both kids had a great time.

She's gone bazzerk

Our daughter has a few language barriers she has yet to cross. One of them comes after dinner when she never fails to request "bazzerk". Luckily, this kind of bazzerk is the kind that comes with ice cream, a cookie or other treat and not a total mental breakdown. I just don't have the heart to correct her yet because "dessert" just wouldn't be the same...

Lucky Kids

Our kids are especially blessed in that they get to have so many family members around them for love and support. It takes a village, right? Well, they have SIX great-grandparents, FOUR grandparents, and way too many aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles, cousins, etc to count. On Sunday they got to spend the day with one of their grandmas and they had all sorts of fun, including making edible playdoh into cookies that they got to cook and then eat...now what could be better than that?!?!

Kidding around

The kids had a great time this morning at the petting zoo, with the other "kids"...

My Little Stinky Faces

Both of our kids love books and we make it a habit to read several books to them a day. A particular favorite of the oldest is "I Love You Stinky Face" by Lisa McCourt. I walked in on the cutest scene today while putting away the laundry. Our 2-year old was "reading" the book to her brother (and her purple teddy bear). It wasn't verbatim, of course, but I think I kinda liked her version better.

"

For those of you not familiar with the book, here are the real words:

"Mama said, 'I love you, my wonderful child.' But I had a question.

Mama, what if I were a BIG, SCARY, APE? Would you still love me then? If you were a big, scary ape, I would make your birthday cake out of bananas, and I would tell you, 'I love you, my big, scary ape.'

But, Mama, but, Mama, what if I were a super smelly skunk, and I smelled so bad that my name was Stinky Face? Then I'd plunk you in a bubble bath! But if you still smelled stinky, I wouldn't mind. I'd whisper in your ear, 'I love you, Stinky Face.'

But, Mama, but, Mama, what if i were an alligator with big, sharp teeth? I'd buy you a bigger toothbrush! And if your throat hurt, I'd look inside your huge mouth. I'd tell you, ' I love you, my dangerous alligator.'

But, Mama, what if I were a terrible meat-eating dinosaur? Then I'd make you a mountain of hamburgers to eat! I'd say, ' I love you my sweet, terrible dinosaur!'

But, Mama, but, Mama, What if I were a swamp creature with slimy, smelly seaweed hanging from my body? Then I would live by the swamp and take care of you always. I'd tell you, ' I love you, my slimy swamp monster!'

But, Mama, but, Mama, what if I were a green alien from Mars, and I ate bugs instead of peanut butter? Then I would fill your lunch box with spiders and ants and the tastiest bugs you ever had! And I'd pack a note with all the bugs that said, ' I love you, little greenie. Bon Appetit!'

But, Mama, but, Mama, What if I were a one-eyed monster? Then I would look right into your one eye and say, ' I love you,' and I would sing to you until your one droopy eyelid finally closed and you fell fast asleep.

I love you, Mama. And I love you, my wonderful child.

1st and 10

We went to our first football game with the kids this Friday and it was fun but very chilly. A friend of the family was playing so it was worth the price of admission to get to see him knock heads with the other leatherheads. The kids were pretty excited at first, what with all the lights and band and noise and cheerleaders and novelty of it all, but that gave way to crankiness when they realized it wasn't getting any warmer or earlier. Then as bedtime passed they both decided in their own ways to no-so-subtly let us know it was time to go home. So we made it through the 3rd quarter, which I consider a successful evening.

What's for dinner?

Here's a good idea for AFTER dinner. I got the idea from "A Year of Crockpotting" website (which I love, by the way). I haven't made it yet, but plan on making this warm dip this evening for dessert before we head out for a football game. It sounds so good that I can't imagine it being anything but absolutely divine.

In a small crockpot (or pan), add peanut butter, brown sugar, cream, and marshmellows (in a ratio of about 3/1/1/4)& a little vanilla. Let that cook slowly for about an hour and serve with sliced apples and/or celery.

UPDATE: We made this and it was super yummy! We had pretzels, bananas & chocolate wafer cookies to dip also. A little bit went a long way though and we have loads left over for later...which isn't such a bad thing (except for my belt notches!)

Closing in fast

Our little guy is quickly closing in on his "big" sister. Her clothes are mostly size 2T but she's lengthening out to a 3T so has a few bigger things. HE on the other hand, is quickly moving past his size 18mo clothes and into size 24mo (aka 2T). This evening we went to grandma & grandpa's for dinner and both kids were wearing size 2T clothes. I wonder now how long it will take for them to realize it too.

My brother is 7 years younger than I am and has referred to me as his "little" sister for many years. I guess since he's over 6 ft and 200 lbs I would be a bit insulted if he didn't...

Happy to be Hungry

I woke up from a nap this afternoon and was hungry! Hooorrrraaaayyy! I have eaten very little since massive vomiting occurred Sunday night (thus losing most of what I ate that day). I've had a little jello, pedialite & some crackers, while losing 8 pounds - YIPES! I have gradually begun to feel better today but was worried that even when I forced down breakfast, my tummy wasn't happy and didn't WANT me to eat. But I woke up and my tummy said "All Better!" YAY!

Clowns

We had a fun day of trick-or-treating at the downtown shops with friends before heading out to visit great-grandma and great-grandpa for the evening (and more trick-or-treating). Our little clowns took it all in stride and were pretty good. By the end of the night they were both running up to the door and saying trick-or-treat (okay, our little guy just said "teet-teet", but he's one so we'll cut him some slack). Although he doesn't have it on in the picture, we even got Daddy to wear his clown hat for most of the day. Even our pup got in on the action with her clown ruffle so we toted her along all day too.

Halloween Party

Yesterday the kids had a great time at a Halloween party with some friends. They got to draw and finger paint ghosts, scare off ghouls with bubbles, make scary masks, go in a spooky mini-maze, scoop up maggots (rice), eat some devilishly good treats, and draw shaving-cream goblins. They both had a wonderful time!

Woooo Hooooo

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got tickets for Christmas for $700! That's $500 cheaper than I could find previously. Okay, so we have to fly out of Orange County and into Seattle, but I'll take what I can get. We'll add a rental car and STILL save $300 in travel costs and get our own car to drive for the vacation. YES YES YES...it's lookin' like it's gunna be a good day...

What a wonderful world

There's not much in the world that can compare with a beautiful day with my three favorite people. We had a frost delay so we started on hole #13 on the back side, but Sunday was just such a day. I have to say, through all 15 holes the kids were great.

What's for Dinner?

We particularly like to eat fish, although we only eat it once a week or so. Last night though, I couldn't find a recipe for Dorado in any of my books that appealed to both of us, so I looked online. That's where I found a "Sweet & Tangy Tilapia" recipe.

Okay, so Dorado is a far cry from Tilapia, but the ingredients looked tasty to both of us and it took a mere 20 minutes start to finish for the meal so here's what I did:

In a measuring cup, I mixed lemon juice, butter, dijon mustard, strawberry preserves, vinegar, honey, and tarragon. I greased a cookie sheet and laid the fish on it under a broiler for 3 minutes. Then I turned the fish over and drizzled the mixture on top. I waited another 3 minutes and flipped the fish again, and drizzled again. After a final 3 minutes (9 total now for anyone counting), the fish was done and I served it with rice & vegis. A very healthy meal in no time flat, which is right up my alley.

The original recipe called for raspberry vinegar instead of the preserves & vinegar but I make due with what's in my pantry and we ate it all and I added it to my homemade cookbook to make again later.

Little stinker

My little stinker one-year-old is a budding mechanical engineer... or demolition expert. He wanted to hold my phone (which I tend to let him do since he's USUALLY harmless) so I let him. I looked down from my computer screen less than a minute later and he had dismantled the phone into the following configuration:
Now I ask you, would YOU have been able to do that with such speed? I would like to add my kudos to Nokia at this point for their phenomenal durability. This phone has been thrown down stairs, stood on, driven over with a golf cart, dismantled, and had peanut butter smeared into it's inner workings (all of which were thanks to my sweet babies) and keeps on tickin'. Amazing. I think I need a new phone now though since this one's kinda beat up but what could possibly stand up to the torture that they put this one through?

Our little princess

Our 2-year-old is becoming quite the feminine little girl. She loves her dresses and baby dolls and anything that has to do with nurturing/loving on animals or toys. So you can imagine how excited she was to visit with a friend this week and discover the friend had Disney princess dresses! The two of them were so cute twirling around with arms outstretched to the music together. There were even sparkling princess shoes and tiaras to match the dress. What a couple of cuties!

Holiday thinking

Well, all this shopping for tickets north has got me thinking about what the kids will want for Christmas. Invariably we are asked for the annual Christmas List and I usually panic at the last minute and can't think of anything. It always seems to sneak up on me even though I've got the countdown going all year long (scroll to the very bottom of my blog page). So I decided that I'll just keep a running list in the left-hand sidebar of this blog as the year goes on and that way I won't be caught with no ideas. As things come to me I'll try to remember to add them in.

Travel Woes

We're trying to get our tickets to fly north for the holidays and the cheapest I can find tickets for all three of us (baby flies free) is $1200! I've been looking all day for some kinds of deal or special or ANYTHING - to no avail. I've tried flying with layovers, at inconvenient times, etc, and the most I can save is $100, which still makes it $1100 to fly. So here I am, putting it out to the universe for assistance, that I need some way to get tickets... If any of you know a big wig who is in charge of marketing for an airline, whisper in their ear that this would be a fantastic time for them to put tickets on sale for us....

Normal price $200 a piece (manageable)
Current cheap price $360 a piece (laughably high)
Current normal price $400 a piece (just plain ridiculous)

Trick-or-treat Practice

Nana and grandpa are going to be gone on vacation over Halloween and were going to miss seeing the kids in their costumes. So to give them a chance to see the outfits (albeit not entirely decked out) and to give the kids some exposure to trick-or-treating before randomly telling them to take candy from strangers, we went over last night and did some "practice" trick-or-treating. The kids walked from door to door throughout the house while someone waited behind the door and answered when they heard a knock. At first, neither kid wanted to knock and forget about asking them to say "Trick or treat". By the 10th door though (there were 10 total), both kids were willing caught on and wanted to knock and even the 1 year old would yell "Teeeet" (okay, close enough, extra points for being adorable and keeping your hat on sweety). We all had pizza after which they both dined on their new treats. Daddy's and my costumes weren't all the way done yet, but we got in the spirit too by donning what we DID have completed. Now I have 2 weeks to hold the little kiddos at bay before unleashing them on the public.

The great pumpkin contest

At homecoming last weekend they were handing out pumpkins to all of the alumni so we brought a couple home with us, one big and one small. Knowing it is only 2 weeks until Halloween, I convinced Daddy to help us carve pumpkins last night. Being the total Type A personality that he is, he suggested that we make it into a little competition to draw prospective faces for the big Jack-o-lantern. We all sat down to the kitchen table, and with the pumpkin in the center for inspiration, drafted what we thought might be the winning face. Everyone knows that 2-year-olds are of prime age for Jack-o-lantern judging so our little sweetheart got the honors. I believe that the contest may have been somehow staged or the judge was paid off in skittles because remarkably one of Daddy's faces won. So they set to work cleaning out the goopy-goo inside and our little mister was in charge of separating the seeds. It wasn't long before Daddy was able to begin the face but when he sat back to admire his work he couldn't figure out what was missing....luckily our smarty little girl is very perceptive and giggled "Daddy...he needs a NOSE!" and pointed out where it should go.The end result was six big smiles; both lit up Jack-o-lanterns, Mommy and Daddy's faces, and both kiddos happy faces.

Oktoberfest

This weekend Daddy was hunting for phantom chucker (they didn't see a single one), so we needed something to keep us busy. We decided it would be fun to go to Oktoberfest. Some other moms & kids met us there for lunch. Not knowing what to expect, we arrived with empty tummies. Let me say they did not disappoint. Not only was the sausage very good (the kids LOVED it), but the music was fun and very entertaining. From there we went to the playground so I could be assured both kids were sufficiently exhausted. You know the afternoon event was a smash hit when both kids sleep for 3 hours afterward!

What's For Dinner?

This week, since we were all feeling a bit under the weather, what better to make for dinner but homemade chicken soup. I made it for dinner on Monday and by Tuesday's lunch it was all gone. If you have a crock pot there is nothing and I mean NOTHING easier to make. Plus it's so so so good for you (about 150-200 calories a bowl depending on what you add).

Here's all you have to do: Get some frozen or refrigerated raw chicken. Cut it into cubes and put it in the crock pot (that was the hard part). Empty a can each of carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, and beans into the crock pot. Add more if you want more, go crazy. If you don't have those vegis use other ones, it really doesn't matter. If you only have fresh or frozen vegis use those too, or a mix of all of them, it's all the same really. Add enough liquid (either broth or bullion dissolved in water) to cover the vegis & meat plus another inch or so. I add a few bay leafs to my soup and some italian seasoning sometimes or red pepper flakes but none of them are really necessary. Turn the crock pot on either high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours depending on how much shopping you plan on doing :) Then come home to a house that smells awesome and eat the best yummy soup ever feeling good about finding a way for your kids to eat their vegis.

There's really no way to mess this up. You can't overcook the soup really, at least I never have and trust me, if you could - I would have. If you're a neurotic freak and have to have noodles in your soup, add them in the last 1/2 hour of cooking or cook them separate and add at the end when serving. Trust me on this one, you don't want to crock pot cook those noodles the whole time, you'll get an icky thick goopy mess when the noodles dissolve in the broth. Don't ask me how I know.

How long does it take to make a dress?

It seems like an easy question, right? I mean, I buy only the "simple" patterns and use regular fabrics like cotton so maybe it should take a day, maybe two or three if I'm cramming it in between other activities. This apparently is NOT the case for my otherwise wonderful, loving, marvelous mother. Leaving jobs partially finished seems to have be somewhat of a trademark for her to which I have, in this case, stepped in to assist.

Here's the scene: I am staying for a week at my parents' house. My mother and sister are gone for the day to school (both being superstars and going for their degrees). I am at the house alone for the day with my kids. By some freak twist of fate or dousing of good fortune upon me, both of my kids have decided to nap simultaneously. So what's a girl to do? Watch one of the 1000s of movies in their library? Bake chocolate chip cookies? Ah, you are one step ahead of me...of COURSE I went through my mothers' sewing room. The place is a treasure trove of interesting tid bits of crafts and projects either never begun or never finished. Because, of course, had they been finished they would no longer be in the room, right?

I had previously (and by this I mean last Christmas)eyed a dress in the closet that looked a little big for my size 24 month baby girl (I'm guessing the dress was size 3-4) and passed over it at the time. This time, however, I knew she might fit into it, or at least might by the next time we came up, so I went looking for it. I believe the artifact was initially created with the intention of one of my nieces wearing it. They are now, however, ages 12, 11 and almost 8, so they would be better suited to use it for doll clothes by this time. I found the article of clothing in the exact same place it was last Christmas, hanging in the closet. Upon further inspection, the dress was not only mostly complete, it only required the addition of three buttons! Imagine, all the hard work and planning to get this adorable dress made only to never be worn because nobody put on the buttons. It's a shame really.

So what's a mom to do? Of COURSE I did. My daughter fits in it perfectly and we have added it to her collection. She has a new fascination with watching long skirts twirl while you dance in them so this dress is not only the the perfect size for her, but the long skirt makes it perfect timing as well.

As a side note, on the way out of the sewing room I also found a bag that contained a finished bodice, hemmed skirt and some other fabric remnants all decorated with candy canes, also approximately a size 4 that I snagged and finished as well. Once I finished making it today I asked my daughter to try it on and despite the obvious holiday insinuations on the dress, she insisted on wearing it for the remainder of the day. Her first request was that I turn on some music for her. In fact, she loved it so much that I even made her a matching purse from the remnants.

So the answer is simple, how long does it take to make a dress? About 5 minutes of button sewing for one and about an hour of sewing for the other... Start to finish, altogether, about 6-10 years.

That time of year

It's that time of year again. Both kids and I have a case of the sniffles. We all sound like veteran smokers and have ichy eyes, runny noses, sore throats and congestion. So we've been spending all week at home, which isn't such a bad thing. Hope you all are avoiding this ickiness.

Homecoming

We spent all day Saturday (and by that I mean the 23 hours after 8 hours of driving and 3 hours of recovery) in Thousand Oaks for the Cal Lutheran University football game and homecoming activities. It was nice to be back from Oregon and soaking in some sunshine. My precious 2-year-old loved the bounce house for alumni & family after the game and my 1-year-old was enamored by the bunnies, pigs, goats, and ducks in the petting zoo area. Of course, my hunny didn't mind the free beer and buffet either.
We had a great time visiting with our "old" friends (you know who you are) and catching up on all of our classmates' news for the last 10 years (has it really been that long?). To cap off the night, my sister and I went with hubby and some friends to the local cowboy bar for some line dancing and a little 2-step action. After getting back at 2 am and then getting up and driving to the airport at 6 am though, I am relieved to be home and trying to recover from the last few days' lack of sleep.

What's for Dinner?

Okay, so we're not really making this one tonight. We made it last Monday. But it is so yummy I had to tell you about it. It's Alfredo pizza and it's SO easy.

Take a 12" Boboli breadshell (I use the whole wheat ones) and brush it with olive oil. Then add enough sun dried tomato alfredo sauce to cover the top. On top of that sprinkle some chopped green onion, shredded chicken and crushed red chilis. Top it all with some Jack cheese and bake it until the cheese melts. It's so good that my hubby thought it was made with Que Bueno cheese! There's only 353 calories in a third of the pizza so it's practically guilt free to boot.

This Park is for the Birds

Yesterday we spent the morning feeding the ducks at a local park. Both kids were excited to see a group of our friends who met us there. Unfortunately these particular ducks are on the snobby side and have never wanted to eat any of the times we've been there. I think they're overfed because it's the only lake with ducks for many miles. Luckily for the kids, there's a big playground at the park too so even though it got rather hot toward the end and we couldn't get the ducks to eat (not for lack of trying), we all still had a nice time in the sun.

Our day at the Zoo

Yesterday we got up early and drove down to San Diego to visit the zoo. Since it was such a good deal, we upgraded our tickets to a membership so if any of you want to go this year, we'd love to join you if we're around. We were there for four hours and saw many animals but there's still lots we have left to go back and do and see.

Mobility

Both kids are becoming more mobile. I am keeping slim just trying to catch up!

Miss Cleo

Ever seen those advertisements where some lady claims to know the future and tells you to call this 1-900 number and find out your fortune? Her name, if I recall correctly, was Miss Cleo. Well, my hubby must have made that call because if you refer back to a post (less than a week ago) called "threes" you'll see he forecast the downfall of WAMU. I tell you what, the guy's a keeper.

My favorite songs

I have been a fan of country music for many years now. Favorites such as Tim, Trace & Reba top my playlists. Recently however, I have become a fan of a new genre - Nursery Rhymes, specifically ones sung my my 2-year-old. The best part of her renditions is the lyrical liberties she takes when singing acapella. Some of my newest favorites are verses such as:

"The BISSY BISSY spider"
"Wing around the mosies, pocket full of mosies...."
"ABCDEFGHIKKNOOOPQRSTUVWXY and Z"
"BOP! goes da weees-oh"
and most recently
"Tinker Bells, tinker bells, tinker all the way!"

What's for dinner?

Okay, don't make these for dinner unless you want to gain 1000 lbs. Make them and eat one then give the rest away as a gift. I made them and will be taking them to a friend because I can't keep things like this in my house or I'd be as big as the house.

Mix some vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and whipping cream then boil it and pour the mix on top of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Let that sit for 5 minutes to get happy then stir until completely mixed. Stir in some chopped up ginger snaps and refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours. Roll into little balls then roll the balls in finely ground ginger snaps. Refrigerate another hour and then give them away or you'll eat them all. You can make these ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for 3 days if they last that long.

I suppose you could make these with oreos or nilla wafers or nutter butters or candy canes too.

Fit for a Princess

Our little princess got a tent for her 1st birthday from coach and his family that she plays with often when visiting Nana & Grandpa. She and her brother like to crawl in and hide. There's a little wand and crown that came with it along with an inflatable bed/couch converting unit. It's all pink and sparkly and fun. The only thing you have to watch out for when playing in the tent however is invasion by the "big yellow bear" (ala our golden retriever/lab mix).

Teething pains

We are still waiting on those darn teeth to come in for our little guy. He's had six teeth since he was 6 months old. Well, now he's pushing 15 months old (as old as his sister was when he was born, amazing) and still has only six teeth residing in his mouth. Now he's getting an additional two that are trying to make their way into his lower gums. They initially broke through the gums about 2 weeks ago but still have yet to reach their full height. By this age his sister had almost a full mouth of teeth, including her 1 year old molars, which he doesn't have yet either.

This poses a couple challenges. First, we are reluctant to give him any sizeable piece of food or anything particularly hard (carrots, etc) since he cannot grind well in the back without teeth. Everything must be able to be swallowed whole or gummed into oblivion. Second, I sincerely believe it's making him a bit irritable. Of course, it may just be a developmental stage, but if you had something piercing your gums 24 hours a day, wouldn't you be fussy? He is overall a happy boy, but I think things bother him easier because of it.

For example, recently he was in the kitchen holding on to Daddy's leg and Daddy had to move to the other side of the kitchen and little buddy didn't take it in stride as he normally would. Daddy sighed and said "Buddy, you are a real piece of work." This was ironic in that a family-friend made the same comment to Daddy while they were playing tennis together only a couple days ago. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony and wonder whether it really was teething or merely hereditary :)

A day with Grandmas

The kids got to go with Nana to visit their great-grandparents last Friday. The left early Friday morning and came back Saturday afternoon. Mommy & Daddy got the full details of family they got to visit with and toys they played with but best of all was the kitty that Great-Grandma is raising. Daddy has sworn never to have a cat for a pet so it's a special treat for our kids to get to play with a kitten. The other highlight of the visit was a trip to Chuck-e-cheese to play the games. It seems both kids had a stellar time because both were exhausted when they got home and it took about 2 days to come down off of their adrenaline rush :) Mom and Dad were happy to have an evening to themselves on Friday too so it was a win/win situation all around.

What's for Dinner?

Last night, as a special treat, Daddy decided to make us dinner. He cooked up some Wahoo (it's fish, yeah, I hadn't heard of it before either). You could also use swordfish, halibut or shark. To make this recipe you'll have to convince some of your close family to brew up some amazing pomegranate jelly so good luck trying with that. Maybe you could try plum jam instead. Here's what he did:

Use about a pound of fish, cut it into 4 servings. Mix together pomegranate jelly, lemon juice, ginger, red pepper and garlic powder for a yummy sauce. Take about 3T of the mix and add some margerine for a glaze. Glaze the fish then broil 5 minutes. Turn over the fish then glaze again and broil about 5 more minutes until it flakes easily. Serve the fish with the sauce and maybe some garlic bread and mashed potatoes like we did. At 260 calories a serving for the fish you can't go wrong. Easy cheesy and yummy in your tummy. Thanks Daddy, good job!

Dodgers play to mixed reviews

We were able to buy some last minute, half-price tickets on ebay for the Sunday Dodgers/Giants game. There was no scoring until the 11th inning so play went pretty fast. Our seats turned out to be in a good location. We were at the top of the stairs which meant that the kids didn't have to climb them to get in or out of our seats and we got to sit in the shade. Plus we were close to the 3rd baseline so our view was pretty good. Our baby girl had a great time and was soaking in the Dodger experience, including having a Dodger dog, crackerjacks and the works.

Unfortunately, we were in seats 5&6. This wouldn't mean much except to know that seats 7&8 were between us and the aisle. Also, not a big deal, until two 300+ lb guys came to sit in those seats. The guy in seat #7 was so big that he rested his elbow on the back of seat #6 (ours) for most of the game. This made Daddy VERY claustrophobic and he wound up taking our little princess for a walk for most of the game. Mommy & Mr. Fussypants were left to fend for themselves. Around the 7th inning, the two big guys moved down to some open seats (where they shared 5 seats between the two of them) so our family got to share the last few innings together at least. There was no score and by the 10th inning, Mr. Fussypants had had enough and was voicing his displeasure so we all decided to call it a day. Overall, not a great experience. We need to wait for our little guy to get a bit older before going back and we'll make sure to get four aisle seats next time.

Threes

Three things I've been contemplating lately:

1) All bad things happen in threes. This is definitely true for me. Yesterday was moving along rather painlessly when we got an urgent call from hubby that we had to get to the bank and do a money wire by the time the bank closed. This turned out to be rather inconvenient at the time because we had just arrived at a play-date with some friends and had to make an unexpected exit. This threw both kids into a tizzy over the unscheduled interruption. Both decided they were too tired to sleep and so hungry they must scream. On the way to the bank, the stereo in the car went out and by that I mean would turn on but not play at all. This further frustrated the kids who are accustomed to repeated verses of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and listening to "Pop Goes the Weasel" till any sane person would want to puke. Upon arriving at the bank I had to do some phone call research to determine where best to transfer the funds (long story, don't ask). To keep the stinkers at bay I passed out some goldfish crackers and a firm reminder to the oldest on how to share. About 5 minutes into what would turn out to be half an hour of phone call conversation the air conditioner went out (it was about 94 degrees outside). And by went out I mean began to blow hot air on all of us. By the time we entered the bank I was severely frazzled, hot and quite frankly, fed up. I was taking no crap from any trainee-teller and got referred to a senior associate who served me quickly and efficiently. The best part about bad things happening in threes? Once the third one hit (ala, the AC issue) then the rest of the afternoon was long but moderately uneventful.

2) How often are your taste buds supposed to change? I think I heard once it was every seven years. I must be off schedule because I am well past 28 and not yet 35 but recently have developed an appreciation for all things hot. Specifically, I rather enjoy horseradish and wasabi, which, up until about a month ago, would have been on my short list of foods to avoid at all costs. In high school I had a thing for chicken bullion (as found in top ramen), in college it was mustard, and just out of college I made it my mission to find the best salsa recipe due to an overwhelming love of cilantro and tomatoes (which all through school I hated). As a kid I remember looking at "old" people and thinking they ate such gross stuff and as it turns out, I must be "old" now because I find myself making choices any self-respecting 7-year-old would never touch.

3) I miss my sister. Visiting with friends who don't live close enough sometimes makes it even worse. Don't get me wrong, I rather enjoy any time I get to spend with friends, but it reminds me of how I wish she lived close enough so that I could share those kind of meaningless moments with her too. There's just something that you can't replace about a person you used to beat up (and get beat up by), who wouldn't let you on her side of the car, and who had to sit through all the same bus rides and summer days and parent conferences and other meaningless events of your youth.

Onward and Upward

Now that our little guy has finally begun to walk on his own (not mastered yet, but working on it), he has decided to take on more difficult challenges. He sees his sister doing things and just feels compelled to try to keep up. It's alright little buddy, spoons are pretty tricky...keep working on it...


PS, this post is overdue. I've been trying to get this uploaded since Sunday but after about 10 hours of attempting to upload, I realized that the size was too big so I had to go back and convert it.

Breakfast with Jay

We have our buddy, Jay, over for breakfast in the mornings these days. He comes over a lot lately. He's a big peanut lover so we keep some on hand for him. No, he's not an elephant...

What's for Dinner?

I absolutely love my Marlboro cookbook. Don't get me wrong, I abhore smoking and do not condone it even in the slightest. However, I DO appreciate a good meal on the barbeque and this cookbook is FULL of good ideas. My favorite is the Steel-Toed Sirloin. You take some top sirloin and put it in a plastic bag. Add to the bag a mixture of OJ, soy sauce, garlic & ginger. Marinade and let it get happy overnight (or at least an hour) then grill about 8 minutes, serve with mashed potatoes and corn and OOh La La!

What's for Dinner?

Tonight we're doing a little asian inspired salmon dish for dinner. I'll be using about a pound of salmon and glazing it with a mixture of hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and red pepper flakes. I'll roast it at 450 for about 10 minutes or so, toss some scallions on top and roast for about 5 more minutes. It's only 300 calories a serving and if I serve it with broccoli and some brown rice it's a totally health conscious meal that's still yummy.

My little hams

My baby girl's newest obsession is taking pictures with the digital camera. She is relatively careful with it so I condone the activity. For the most part I get pictures of the dog's tail or the bottom half of my desk. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to get the back of her brother's head. As a result of the activity though she has also become excited about me taking her picture. I get frequent requests and am happy to oblige. This morning was different and I got quite the adorable shot out of it.

Mom's Night Out

Last night I got to have a moms' night out with some friends at a sushi place down the hill. We all had way too much to all-you-can-eat and it was very good food and lots of fun. Hubby watched with kids with another mom's husband and kids so we were happy to see minimal disaster when we got back. All moms need a night like this every once in a while.

Camping

We got home last night at 11:30 PM so now, 14 hours later I've finally finished unloading the car and cleaning up the disaster that was my house. I still have 4 loads of laundry to do (sigh).
It was totally worth it though because we had a great time. It was an 6 hour drive up there so luckily they both slept most of the way. My little girl caught her first fish (3 casts, 3 fish!) and her brother slept in his first tent. She didn't want to actually have to touch the fish though once it was reeled in and he woke up about 8 times per night but I'll take what I can get. Both kids got to have roasted marshmallows, get spoiled by everyone, get DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY, which are all part of the camping fun.
We were joined by two grandparents, two great-grandparents, an aunt, an uncle, a great-uncle, and three other families of friends. The best part about that (other than all the fun of course) was there were lots of people willing to play with the kids. That left some time for Mommy & Daddy to go hiking alone together. We did a 11-12 mile hike through Yosemite, which was beautiful.
And now it's back to the comfort of our routine and naps and playtimes and yes....laundry :)

Grandparents

Happy Grandparents' Day! The kids send their love to all four of their grandparents and all of their great-grandparents too!!

Make a Smilebox postcard