Spring is springing

***********Insert deep, content sigh here******************

We are pretty lucky to live in such a beautiful area. A few weeks ago we had so much snow that my minivan was buried to above the window line. Today there is not a speck of snow on our property (nor to be seen from it except the beautiful mountain line in the distance). The great part about our location is that we get the cold winters and change of seasons but not so much rain that you spend 2 of the seasons (spring & fall) indoors trying to stay dry.

Today is a complete 180 from the weather a few weeks ago. Today we have sunshine over sunshine with an extra dose of sunshine. It's about 80+ degrees and all my flowers are peeking up out of the ground. We spent the last weekend doing some yard work and planting of seeds and general spring clean-up activities.N ow I am loving the feeling content, happy feeling. These pictures were both taken at our house this morning. Don't you just LOVE changing seasons?

What to Make

Steak, steak & more steak...

I'm always looking for a new way to make it and here's my latest find:

Mix together black pepper, chile powder, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, cumin, cloves & cayenne pepper. Rub it all over your steak and let it get happy for 10 minutes or so. Grill over indirect heat for about 5 minutes per side then transfer to a plate, cover with foil and let sit for another 5 minutes. Easy cheesy and yummy to your tummy.

Oh, if you're squeemish about heat/spicy foods, then cut back on the pepper and chile/cayenne and it will be much more mild. I didn't though. We're into spicy.

Mexico

Sure, we probably didn't have the money to go and yes, we probably shouldn't have taken so much time off work, but when you take priorities into account, how could we NOT go?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
It's always ourselves we find in the sea" - E.E.Cummings

As a warning: There are over 90 pictures here (about 1/4 of those taken) so it's kind of a big file

What to Make

I'll be the first to admit that these are the most stereotypical "icky vegetable" that there is on the planet. HOWEVER, I made this recipe two nights ago and all three of my picky eaters gobbled them up. First, quarter and trim your brussels sprouts (yep, I said it, I saw you cringe, trust me, their going to be good). Toss them with olive oil that has a little salt & sugar dissolved into it. Then lay them out on a lightly oiled, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix together a little parsley, butter, pepper and lemon zest then toss with the brussels sprouts. Top it off with some parmesan cheese and voila - yummy taste and good-for-you too!

It's like living with two little mice

UGH! Okay, to set the stage, here's what happened:

We went to Cabo for a week and came back with LOADS of pictures (I'm talkin' over 400). So instead of bogging down my memory card in my camera, I uploaded them to Grandpa's laptop in the thought that I'd just get them from him when we got home. Good idea, right? Right. Fastforward to Monday morning and he offers me a memory stick filled with the pictures to take home and upload to my computer and just return the memory stick when I get a chance. Still all very good ideas. I got home and dropped off a bunch of stuff in the office (the kids didn't even get out of the car), including putting the memory stick on my desk. We headed from there to the supermarket and ran some other errands.

Having said that, you would think it would be smooth sailing from there, right?

The next morning (yesterday, Tuesday), I couldn't find the memory stick on my desk. SO I of course, asked the kids if they knew what happened to it and they of course did not know. The eldest began bringing me things that she THOUGHT I was looking for but weren't the memory stick (many of which I HAD been looking for previously, grrr). I mentioned it missing to hubby last night.

This morning we both did independent searches to no avail. He then came home at lunch and we double teamed the office and car hoping to work off of each other's insights. Nope. No dice. He headed back to work having given up and resigned to telling grandpa it was lost. I was frustrated and not willing to give up, having found several little "stashes" around the office of things (my AAA card, stale pretzels, a bracelet, old mail, a camera battery, etc) and I kept up my search. I repeated my rounds again on my knees (to be at their eye level) and it came to me...they play under my desk! A quick search of my desk drawer found another lucrative stash of treasures that they had slid over the back edge from under the desktop. Given another hefty search around I found it! The memory stick had been set on a little lip under the desk and blended (black on black) so well that I would have never found it without being nose-to-nose with it.

Maybe after this my little guy deserves the nickname "Stuart Little"....

Georgia

So, it's been ages since I posted and for good reason. We've been BUSY BUSY BUSY! For a week we were gone to Cabo (more on that hopefully soon) and then we got home last week just in time to turn around and head back to the airport on our way to Georgia for NASCAR. We had a spectacular time and are so very very lucky to have family who live close and are happy to take the kids for the weekend. The kids get time with their grandma/grandpa/great-grandparents (who they went to visit) and Mom & Dad get some time alone together. Everybody wins!....except Carl Edwards, who came in a respectable third....

A Jumpin' Good Time

Last week we went to Jump Zone for the first time and the kids had a fantastic time. Four of their little friends were there too, which made the day extra special fun.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is Daddy's birthday but we celebrated it early last week at Nana & Grandpa's house since they were going to be gone today. Be happy you're getting older Daddy, birthdays are about the only thing you'll be given in your life that comes to you without effort. Plus, really if you think about it, birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. We love you so much Daddy, here's a funny thought to make you smile today:

“You’re getting old when the only thing you want for your birthday is not to be reminded of it.”

Priority Mail

While I was working on the computer this morning, my kids were trying to get my attention so I glanced over and this is what I saw:
I asked if they wanted to be sent to Aunti's house and although the thought seemed momentarily appealing, they must have decided it would be too traumatic because after some deliberation, they vetoed my idea.

What to make

Last night I was craving something for dessert that was warm since we've been having so much snow lately. I remembered a recipe for cobbler that I had seen in a magazine this month and looked it up. Unfortunately it required apples, of which I had none. Also, it required about an hour of cooking time and I wanted something faster, like FIVE minutes. So here's what I did instead:

Mixed quick oats, smashed ginger snaps, margarine and a little coconut until it was fine crumbs. In a pot I mixed a can of peaches, dried blueberries, some brown sugar and cornstarch and heated it until it boiled and thickened. At the same time I heated the oats mixture in a skillet, stirring constantly. I then spooned the peaches mixture into bowls and topped it with the oats mixture. Voila! Peach cobbler in five minutes! The only bad things in it were the ginger snaps and brown sugar and I didn't use much of either so really, I wasn't too guilt-ridden about finishing my share. It was rather good too and so quick that I'll definitely make this again.

Good as New

My best friend from high school made the most adorable dress for her first daughter when she was three (ahem, TEN years ago...but who's counting). The dress then passed down to my eldest niece, who is somewhat smaller than the original owner but almost the same age. From there the dress progressed down to my second niece, the originator's little sister and finally to my youngest niece. Can you believe that after all that, when my daughter inherited the dress last winter, all that was needed to make it good as new was to mend a small tear where the skirt meets the bodice? She was, of course, very excited to add it to her wardrobe when I mended the tear and added a sash. After all, a girl can never have too many pretty dancing dresses.

My Valentine

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

It's Snowing Outside but we have Merryweather Inside

in 2003, my sister made the cutest costumes for her girls. They were the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty, Flora, Fauna and Merriweather. Last winter, when we were visiting, my little sweetheart was the happy recipient of the (albeit rather worn) Merriweather costume. This morning mommy repaired the skirt and my little girl spent the whole rest of her day until nap time dancing in the living room and twirling in her new "princess dress". Of course, her little brother couldn't help but join in and even the dog got extra loving. Even though we're at the beginning of a nasty snowstorm outside, I always have Merry-weather with my little sweeties around me.

Sick Kids = Spoiled Kids

Now that the kids are recovering from being sick for the last week, they're having a hard transition back to our daily routine. It's hard for them to accept that they don't get to climb in bed with Mommy at any hour of the night, aren't held the majority of the day, don't watch cartoons (except Sesame Street during breakfast), and are, for the most part, restricted to one bath per day. Oh the hardships one must endure to learn to entertain one's self.

My laundry multiplies like rabbits

I am sure that my little girl has GOT to be stuffing the hamper with clean clothes when I'm not looking because how else could I possibly be having to do a load of laundry a day? I guess they're kids, so they're clothes are usually dirty. Plus, I HAVE kids, so my clothes too, are usually dirty. Now that I think of it, Daddy IS a contractor so more often than not, he's dirty too....with all this dirty business plus having three of us sick all last week (translate: snot on EVERYTHING), the poor washing machine is on more often than off.

What to make

I made these desserts in separate little cups for the Superbowl but the recipe I had calls for it all to be made in one big bowl then divided. I also altered the recipe from coffee to cocoa, from vanilla pudding to white chocolate pudding and from plain cream cheese/whipped cream to strawberry flavored. The other way it was supposed to resemble tirimisu. Either way it's delicious.

Start by mixing together 2 cups of strawberry whipped cream, a package of strawberry cream cheese, 2 small boxes of white chocolate pudding and 2 cups of milk. Make a layer of vanilla wafer cookies on the bottom of the bowl (I crushed mine up since my cups were small). Drizzle some cold cocoa over the wafers. Top that with the pink mixture and layer some grated chocolate on next. Repeat the layers until the bowl/cups are full. Finish each cup with a spoonful of whipped cream from the tub and garnish with grated chocolate and a strawberry. Allow to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours and serve. These were so cute and just as fun to eat as they were to look at.

What to Make

Here's another of my crock pot favorites. Start by mixing spaghetti sauce, chicken, and buffalo wing sauce in a bowl. Put a big spoonful of it in the bottom of the crock pot. Then alternate layers of uncooked lasagna noodles, then ricotta cheese, then chopped bell peppers, then shredded mozzarella cheese, more meat sauce, more noodles, etc until it's all used. Top it with a little extra shredded mozzarella and some blue cheese crumbles. Top that with a cup of water then cook all it for 4 hours on high.

This recipe makes a lot but for anyone who likes buffalo wing sauce and/or blue cheese then it's sure to be a hit and especially good as leftovers.

Why Walmart isn't in Exile

After having experienced the frustration of Sunday (see below), I was adamant that I would not go willingly into a Walmart again. Fastforward to Monday. We had just left the doctor's office where my little girl insisted she did not need to use the restroom. Of course, when we arrived at Verizon where I was to merely pick up a phonebook, she urgently needed to pee. Much to my dismay, the only restroom in proximity was, of course, Walmart next door. We rushed in and in a moment of insanity, I decided to try for my box of paper again. This being a different, more rational Walmart, I was out of there with paper in hand in under 2 minutes. What was so different at this Walmart from the one across town the day before? Only the Walmart powers-that-be can know. For now, rather than being exiled from my shopping routine they are merely on probation. After all, who knows when I'm going to need a pacifier, tube of lipstick, dishtowels and 10W40 oil all in one stop again.

Walmart is on Probation

You should have seen me at about 1:20 on Sunday at Walmart. You'd have grabbed my arms and yelled at me "Don't do it! She's not worth it!" So here's how it all started:

First of all, if Walmart were a town, you'd lock your doors when you drove through. But that is neither here nor there. I still choose to shop there from time to time.

I needed three things; cream cheese, a box of printer paper, and glass dessert cups. Where, pray-tell do you think such things could all be obtained? Of course, Walmart. So the two kids and I trudged on over around noon, knowing that I had until 1:15 to pick up Daddy and grandpa from golf (Checking the times, you can begin to see my frustration, right?). As we walked in, one of my little sweethearts suggested we buy flowers for the pot they made me last year for mothers' day and some to share with Nana. Like Costco, you can't just buy what you are looking for in Walmart, you must buy at least 3 extra things, so we went to the garden department and picked a nice 6-pack of pansies to share with Nana. At 12:10 we walked past the clothes section and I remembered we're going to Cabo soon and I noticed a cute pair of shorts that would be perfect to bring along (Yes, I buy some clothes at Walmart, So does Taylor Swift, don't judge me). By 12:30 I had about 5 things in my cart but none of the three I had come in for orignially. We headed over to pick up the cream cheese and Daddy called to say he was about ready. I reminded him I had until 1:15 and he agreed that would be fine. Two isles away I found my dessert cups so all that was left was to buy my box of paper.......
.....by 1:00 I had found the place the paper was supposed to be, asked an associate who informed me I was in the wrong place, been relocated to the wrong place, relocated BACK to my original location and told it wasn't on the shelf (duh), and then led to the "area in the back" where they store the unstocked items. By 1:05 the associate had found me the unstocked item (I couldn't give up at that point, I was pot-committed). I rushed to the front to purchase my items and called Daddy to tell him we were running a little late.

After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity in line, I rang up all of my other items and all that was left was my box of paper. I scanned the barcode and was told "item not recognized" by the obviously-smarter-than-me computer. I deferred my intellect to an associate only to be shown the barcode and told to scan it [sigh]. I showed her what happens when you scan the barcode and she tried it herself (because she thought she was midas, obviously). By 1:20 she decided she would call her manager from the back. All I could imagine was the same worthless individual who led me on the wild goose chase for the box in the first place. She must have seen it in my face when she took a couple steps back. I told her I didn't have the time, left the box, and was 15 minutes late to pick up the guys.

My point here - Is the facillity of Walmart worth the hassle of the experience? Granted, there are some wonderful Walmarts, just not anywhere near me. In Texas they are an almost pleasurable experience. I think, given the option, I shall take Target any day of the week.

How do you keep kids busy for over an hour?

Take one babbling brook. Add two kids. Throw in some rocks and you have a sure fire way to burn at least an hour. I was amazed at how mesmerized the kids were with the simple act of throwing rocks into the water. Too bad we don't have a brook running on our property where I could watch them. They'd be there all the time.
NOTE: This little trick works on Daddy too.
Here's a shot of Daddy helping his little girl rinse off her hands :)

Watch where you're walking

Recently, Daddy got a cool book about the common vegetation on the west coast that are edible and medicinal. We'll spare the comments about his obsession with Survivorman and Man vs Wild that would naturally fit in here. Since buying this book, we've been looking forward to the weekend when we could test it out. This morning/afternoon we went for a hike in the woods to see what we could identify.We brought some plastic bags to collect specimen and our survival guide and of course, snacks. The kids had a great time filling up their bags with rocks and sticks and pine cones while we were busy observing the few plants that were not in hibernation. We found manzanita (to use in a sitz bath for bum troubles), ferns (good when new and curly), sage (to season dishes), parsley (to season dishes), miners' lettuce (good in salads), serviceberries (good in teas), stinging nettles (good for soup) and about 5 more plants yet to be identified by us. We plan to go out again sometime in April when things are in bloom and there should be a plethera of plants to choose from.
Our little girl's favorite part was finding the two sparkly rocks (Quartz) that she brought home with her and her little brother's favorite part was, of course, the snacks. We may not be able to live off the land, but it's a fun excuse to play outside. Plus, I'll definitely pay more attention to what I'm walking on next time we're hiking.

UPDATE: Upon further inspection, we realized that the sage was really rockcress and the Miner's Lettuce was really Amaranth. Oh, and the parsley was really sanicle...we're rookies, get off my back already.

Life's a beach

Last weekend Daddy went on a golf trip to La Parisma, so we packed up and tagged along so that we could enjoy the beach for the weekend. We spent most of the day Saturday there, collecting rocks, investigating seashells and starfish and then building sand castles. Then we headed inland to visit family. Both kids helped paint the rocks then put on eyes (my little girl insisted that most of them have 3 eyes rather than 2) and we now have a cute little herd of pet rocks. We decided we'll give them to really special friends/family to protect their gardens from yucky bugs. With a little extra daylight left, we rode tricycles down to the playground and ended the day with highly requested chicken soup.
Sunday we (the kids, their Aunt & I) spent trekking around, looking for local geocaches. Out of seven that we took the time to get to, we found five of them, couldn't get one open, another had been taken and only one we couldn't find at all. Pretty good for some amateurs, eh? We took nothing and left nothing, but it was worth the time for the exercise and time spent teaching the kids to "treasure hunt".

The beginning of the end

OF DIAPERS THAT IS!!! Yep folks, you guessed it...the little guy took his first attempt at the potty. All you non-moms/dads might not understand the excitement, but believe you me - Mommy was all aglow. He made his deposit in a big way and got loads of praise for a job well done. Granted, it took a little over a year from the time his sister started making attempts to the time she stopped wearing diapers, but I'll take what I can get. The light has begun to show at the end of the tunnel! Woo hoo!

Cousins

There are many benefits that our kids get from having a large family. One of the more obvious, is how much they are adored by their three cousins up North. Both kids look up to them with stars in their eyes and even take the time every night to kiss a picture of them before bed. When we visit, our kids take center stage with their cousins and are happily exhausted every night. Here's a couple examples of how great they are with each other. There's a clip of the youngest teaching them to build with their Mega Blocks and the other part is the middle cousin reading my little girl a story.

Caterpillar dancing

Ever since going to a production of the Nutcracker last December, we have a little prima ballerina on our hands. She absolutely ADORES dresses and dances to any music she hears whether it is on a radio, in the car, a tissue commercial on the television, or her own humming. Needless to say, since her brother idolizes her, he follows suit. One of her favorite sources of music is her toys. This Christmas, her brother got a cute caterpillar toy from one of their grandmas, who, although not technically related (she's my mom's best friend), might as well be.

He likes to push the feet on the caterpillar to make it say the alphabet and their sounds, but her favorite aspect of the toy is that it plays music. Daddy had the cutest little display of caterpillar dancing when he got home from work today, compliments of the caterpillar.

SDWAP

Last week we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park with Aunti since she is visiting for the week. Despite a nasty incident when we first arrived, the day turned out to be a great way to spend time in the 85 degree sunshine. Everyone had fun and we were all exhausted when the day was done.

Go Baby Go!

We spent the afternoon last weekend with some friends at the racetrack. Although Daddy and "Uncle Jarrod" felt compelled to psych out our shoe-in winner so that he came in 5th instead, Mommy still won for the day and Aunti broke even. Everybody really was a winner though because it was a beautiful 85 degree day and we all enjoyed a relaxing day at the horse races.

Bedtime

Few things are as wonderful and bonding for our family as reading books at bedtime and our nightly routine. There's always a negotiation period to decide how many books shall be read and then there's the unavoidable debate over which books shall then be picked. Usually Daddy reads one and Mommy reads one but lately our 2-year-old has taken it upon herself to re-"read" one of the books to her babydolls as well. Man, there is just nothing like being a parent. It's one of the most indescribable wonderful feelings ever.
PS~Thanks aunt Vetti for these great new jammies.

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.