Our new ATV

About a month ago, my hubby bought us a new ATV so that he and I could go riding together in the forest near our house. This week we finally got that chance (thanks grandpa for watching the kiddos!). I hadn't ridden with anyone that way before, as my companions were always on the same ATV as I was. I hadn't had the opportunity to ride alone before. I always had fun but now that I've ridden this way, I see what all the fuss was about. I had SUCH a good time that even though I brought along my camera, I forgot to take pictures. I only got this one, while I was waiting for him to check the trail (a long winding downslope) for downed trees. There was more than a foot of snow in some places and we made loads of first tracks, had to traverse off the trail to avoid obstructions, and had a blast. Now I can't wait for our next chance to go again.

Fun Learning

Quite a while ago, Daddy helped teach our little girl her colors by playing Candyland. Of course, at first she didn't get the whole "game" part, but was happy to choose cards and tell us what color it was, then try to find a space on the board that was the same color. Recently she has grasped the "game" part of the package and is becoming quite the Candyland connoisseur. She also works on matching by playing Memory & Picture Dominoes. Our latest upgrade to this fun learning process is attempting to teach her numbers. To do this, we're using Chutes & Ladders. We put little dots on the spinner so even though she doesn't recognize all her numbers yet, she can count dots to know how far to move her player.
The hardest part about C&L is that the path is less defined (the path covers the entire board) but she seems to be getting the general idea - so much so that Daddy lost to her last night. She squeeled with delight and danced around when she realized that she won. Mommy was very proud of her because believe you me, there is NO WAY Daddy loses on purpose at ANY game.

At the Hop

I was mid-process of making tuna fillets for dinner last night, listening to music and hearing the kids playing and daddy acting as referee when suddenly there was no noise from the other room besides music. Any mom knows that when the kids become quiet, something is brewing, so I stepped away from the kitchen for just a moment to investigate. Here's what I saw:
Don't they make cute dancing partners? Isn't it nice every once in a while to be pleasantly surprised?

Christmas in January

Somebody has GOT to tell those roses at Great-Grandma's house that it's JANUARY. It's just not natural I tell you. Other than that peculiar observation, the day with Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa turned out out very nice. Even though we couldn't make it for the huge gathering in December, there were still eleven people there. We had some snacks, a yummy dinner and got to open presents again (always a hit with the kids). Our little girl had a fun time being the one to hand out gifts and even managed to carry one to her uncle that was twice her size. These were my two favorite pictures from the day. The rest are in the smilebox photoalbum.
So it seems we've finally finished our Christmas celebration....just in time for planning our annual valentines day trip.

New Camera

Our little girl got a camera for Christmas from Nana & Grandpa. Although there's quite a learning curve, she's figuring out that the camera takes a minute to actually get the shot and you've got to hold your hands rather still or the shot is blurry. Still, of about 100 shots, 30 or so turned out so that's not a bad ratio for a beginner I figure. You have to take into account that family (cousins mostly) and friends helped her take some shots too. All the same, there's 30 pictures I wouldn't have otherwise had. It kind of gives you an inside look into her world when you look them over, which is neat.
PS~thanks to Daddy, I have a new camera too so even though my new one is waterproof and shock (translate-drop) proof, I'm extra happy my 2-year-old has her own now.

Not enough time in my day & 2 IOUs

There are several times that I wish I could freeze time so that several thing I want to do could all get done in time. Yesterday I wanted to go ATV riding with my hubby (he wanted to take the day off work) but since we just had a week off for Christmas, I convinced him that we really couldn't afford another day off. Then last night we were listening to music during dinner and heard Tim McGraw's new song (I didn't catch the name) that had some lyric about lots of people working graveyard that didn't have time to die...or something to that effect. Basically, from what we could tell, it was about choosing the right things in life to live for and work isn't one of them. We both liked the song and hubby looked at me and said "I bet HE would have gone 4-bying with me"....I was already sad for missing out on riding with my hubby and the little stinker just rubbed it in. Sweetheart, I owe you a day of just us, riding around together.

A few days ago it also happened. We were leaving at 2AM the next day to fly home. There were WAY too many packages to fit into our suitcases and I realized I would have to send something home instead of trying to get it on the airplane. I also needed to exchange a couple gifts for my nieces and try to find a package that had been held up arriving due to the storms. I couldn't do any of those things prior to that since the storms had made traveling for me virtually impossible. Unfortunately, I had already made plans to have lunch with a few friends and my brother at his favorite locally owned pizza place before he flew out that afternoon back to his house. So I was left with these two options:
1-exchange gifts for three nieces, get my package, send my other package, and reschedule for dinner with friends but miss out on lunch with my brother
OR
2-lunch with brother & friends but not get nieces gifts exchanged, lose my package and deal with paying for another $50 piece of luggage and toting it around the airport with all of our other stuff.

I chose to miss out on lunch with my brother and he was, to say the least, very bent out of shape about it. I did get everything else done, but wish there had been some way to get all things done that I had wanted to that day. Although I know he was mad when he left, I gave him a hug and told him I hoped he got home safely and he (I think reluctantly) hugged me back and said "see you later".

Little bro (okay "younger", not "littler"), I owe you lunch at your favorite locally owned pizza place next time we're there together. It'll be my priority. Sorry I missed out on it with you.
Love, your older, but not bigger sister

What to make

Okay, last year I was naming my recipes "What's for dinner" but then that excluded anything you wouldn't necessarily eat for dinner, so now I'm changing it to "What to make" just to be more inclusive.

Today I made a YUM YUM YUMMY treat. If you weren't sure what kind of cookies to leave for Santa (word has it, his favorite is sugar cookies) or were all out of flour or some other raw ingredient, here's an easy cookie that's sure to earn you big rewards from the big guy, or at least make up for some indiscretions from earlier in the year. I call them "Reindeer poop" but you shouldn't include that in Santa's note if you know what's good for you.
For all you brownie lovers, who fight over the edge pieces, this one's for you too. Stir together a box of dry brownie mix, 1/4 cup each of oil, water & cocoa and two eggs. Sprinkle the top with chopped up pretzels and cook for about 10 minutes then top with a kiss (I used the peanut butter filled ones, but any kind would do). They turn out looking like Reindeer poop, thus the name, but taste just divine. As you can see, they're good for 1-year-olds too, not just Santas.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope you're all celebrating and having fun tonight. Best wishes for a prosperous and wonderful new year!

Christmas Day

We're finally back from our trip up north and although we had a really fun time, it's nice to be back home. We hope you all had as much fun as we did over the holidays.

Merry Christmas Everyone
from our family to yours

So many Christmases

Our kids are especially lucky to have so much family around them with whom they get to spend time. As a result, this time of year is especially fun for them. It started about a week ago when we got together with friends for Christmas crafts. Then last weekend we celebrated Christmas with Grandpa's family here in California. Next, we're looking forward to spending time with Mommy's family up North. After that we head west for more fun with Nana's family. By early January, we are going to have gotten to spend time with almost everyone and be ready for some home time. For now though, we're all excited to be caught up in the holiday fun.

Here's shots of last weekend with Grandpa's side of the family.

Sun at Last!

After snowing all week, we woke up to bright sunshine this morning and just HAD to go play in it. We quickly gobbled down some waffles and headed outside for some sledding action. It was nice and warm and everyone had a great time (except our little guy for a while while he had snow in his gloves). Today is one of those days when we can appreciate living in the mountains.

Parenting Tactics

Can children's ages be rounded?

When people ask me how old my kids are, I usually reply "1 and 2". It's easy, succinct, and really, most people aren't too concerned with increments beyond that, right? Although if you ask any child in grade school, you inevitably will get the increment whether you ask for it or not. For example, being "9 years and 10 months old" is WAAAAAY more developed, mature and responsible than say, "9 years and 3 or 4 months old". Surely any logical person would understand the grade-schooler's reasoning. Which possibly, is why I have been met with a few eye rolls and quizzical looks when I reply "1 and 2". I get this from experienced moms mostly, who know my one year old is too big and speaks too well to only be 12 months old or that my two year old is definitely too vocal and responsible to only be 24 months old.

I however, am sticking to my guns. Most days I have a hard enough time remembering what month it is (they fly by so FAST) let alone do the quick math in my head to deduce what fraction of a year or increment of months I should be providing. Plus I'm probably in denial.

In my defense, for all intensive purposes she has not left her "terrible twos". Her latest evidence of this is testing the difference between truth and fibs. She will wake up (I know this because I have a video monitor that watches their beds), walk out her bedroom door and into mine, crawl in bed with us and when I ask her if she has gone potty on the toilet yet she always answers "YES". Or she is alone in a room and I hear something fall/break. I go in and ask her what happened. She inevitably blames her brother. I've told her it makes me sad when she doesn't tell me the truth and I figure she'll grow out of this stage (not soon enough) but in my book this classifies her as "two".

Really, I should be telling people that HE is two as well. I can round up too, right? His latest little trick is telling us "NO". It doesn't matter what we are asking him or what the current situation is. He usually will even oblige us with our request as he is stating his defiance. I tell him that he "doesn't tell his mommy no" and "mommys' the boss", which he seems to be figuring out, but I can just see all the wonderful other "terrible two" tricks looming on the horizon for him as well.

Maybe from now on I'll just tell everyone "they're two".

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.