Harrison update-
Harrison loves to play games like peekaboo and I'm going to get you. He will squeel and try to get away but his lack of mobility doesn't help. Speaking of mobility he has been a mover for a while now, not crawling, but spinning 360s and somehow getting from one end of the family room to the other. Over the past week he has been getting up on all fours and rocking. It's fun to see him advance but not so fun when he wakes us up at 4AM and find him in his crib on all fours rocking and fussing. He is still my cuddle bug and I even got to nap with him laying on my chest yesterday. When we are in public he flashes smiles for everyone which is in contrast to his super shy sister who barely acknowledges people's hellos. He mastered blowing raspberries and will make sounds while I pat his mouth.
Lily update-
Lily is a cute package of energy. She has the ability to jump straight out of bed and is ready to play, play, play. She now talks about monsters but I'm trying to keep them friendly, not scary. She adores her baby brother and will bring him toys without us asking and when she talks to him she has the biggest smile and talks in the highest voice possible. She even shares her blankie with him. She still loves gymnastics and we can't tell her we are going to gymnastics until it's time to put her coat on otherwise she asks to go every 2 minutes. She loves to use her stool (AKA stoolup) to wash her hands and bathe her water baby in the sink. She loves to dance and breaks out some impressive moves that sort of resemble break dancing mixed with ballet. One day she put her hands together over her head and said "I'm a ballerina." She is pretty girlie but at the same time won't pass up playing in the dirt.
Parent update-
Randy is busy remodeling the spare bathroom and I'm busy trying to organize a house. We have a lot to do in the next few months, some major changes ahead. The changes are very exciting but a little overwhelming to think about. About 3 weeks ago I was telling our friend that I was ready for a change. Something not sure what but I was feeling the need for change...hahaha I got what I asked for!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Crazy hip blog mamas ask
What gets me through the day?
Let's pick my day apart.
Coffee gets me through the mornings. Occasionally I splurge for Starbucks but lately I've been happy with my own concoction of 1/2 milk, 1/4 coffee and 1/4 vanilla caramel creamer. Plus I'm usually late to work and waiting at Starbucks is 10 minutes at least...annoying but saves money.
My kids get me through the afternoon. I can't wait to leave work and pick them up. Lily greets me with the biggest hug and seriously defends her territory (MY mommy)when the other kids come to greet me. Harrison flashes his big grin when he first sees me too.
Bedtime gets me though the evening. From 5PM-7PM it's hard work! Dinner, playtime, baths, house hold chores, brushing teeth, breast feeding, and constant negotiations with Lily wear me out. I'm seriously beat by 7:30PM and peel myself off her floor to go to the bathroom ONE MORE TIME before bed. But amazingly after those adorable kiddos are sleeping peacefully I get a huge burst of energy. :) It's surprising how quickly my tired state fads once those little eyelids are closed. It doesn't mean my house is sparkling clean but it means the day to day chores get done and I get to hang out with Randy for a few hours. Until he falls asleep. Haha.
Let's pick my day apart.
Coffee gets me through the mornings. Occasionally I splurge for Starbucks but lately I've been happy with my own concoction of 1/2 milk, 1/4 coffee and 1/4 vanilla caramel creamer. Plus I'm usually late to work and waiting at Starbucks is 10 minutes at least...annoying but saves money.
My kids get me through the afternoon. I can't wait to leave work and pick them up. Lily greets me with the biggest hug and seriously defends her territory (MY mommy)when the other kids come to greet me. Harrison flashes his big grin when he first sees me too.
Bedtime gets me though the evening. From 5PM-7PM it's hard work! Dinner, playtime, baths, house hold chores, brushing teeth, breast feeding, and constant negotiations with Lily wear me out. I'm seriously beat by 7:30PM and peel myself off her floor to go to the bathroom ONE MORE TIME before bed. But amazingly after those adorable kiddos are sleeping peacefully I get a huge burst of energy. :) It's surprising how quickly my tired state fads once those little eyelids are closed. It doesn't mean my house is sparkling clean but it means the day to day chores get done and I get to hang out with Randy for a few hours. Until he falls asleep. Haha.
Cooking during the week, not a good idea...
Last night...
Picked up kids from daycare. Gave Lily a library book I picked up over my lunch hour. She read the book all the way home. I carried her inside the house (very unusual given her toddler independence to do it herself) facing away from me while she continued to read. I placed her inside the door to the house so I could go back to the van and get Harrison. Harrison and I had to squeeze through the door because Lily had sat down right behind the door and continued to read while still wearing her coat and hat. For 15 minutes. I used that 15 minutes to get Harrison in the high chair and tended to the dogs (fresh water and a bathroom break). I soaked a couple cheerios and let Harrison entertain himself trying to pick them up. I gave him a couple pieces...he made a strange face but liked them. He was entertained for approximately 10 minutes.
I had some chicken I needed to use and I had a recipe I have been meaning to try so I decided last night was the night. Started boiling the OJ and cooking wine but had to tend to a hungry Lily. The boiling mixture boiled over so after giving Lily some goldfish I cleaned up the mess and started cooking the rice. Harrison was getting hungry and since he couldn't get any cheerios into his mouth I started to feed him his winter squash. You have to continually spoon feed him until the jar is gone or he will let you know his displeasure with your relaxed pace. Lily was done reading so I put on a CD that goes with another book. This is our first book on CD so she didn't quite understand but enjoyed hearing the story and looking at the pages, although out of order. Wonder how much liquid escaped from my over boiled pot and if it would significantly impact my recipe...couldn't do anything about it so I added the maple syrup. Cut up fresh rosemary, mix with S&P. Heard the garage door. Yay!!! Randy was home early. Instructed Randy to finish feeding Harrison his 2nd (smaller) jar of baby food.
Rub rosemary/S&P onto chicken breasts, heated olive oil and butter in pan and cooked chicken. Gasped at the book on CD when the evil step mother said Snow White must be killed and she wanted her heart to know she was dead. Randy stopped CD and started preparing Lily's plate. I added the liquid mix to the chicken breasts to cook a few more minutes to thicken the sauce. Got Lily some creamed corn (which she loved) and rice, then she tried the chicken. Randy and Lily both loved the rosemary chicken and gave it a thumbs up so I'll keep the recipe close for future use. But I'll attempt to cook it without distractions. If it's good without the full recipe just imagine what it could taste like with all the ingredients!
For anyone interested...
Rosemary Chicken with Orange-Maple Glaze Via Allrecipes.com
SUBMITTED BY: LINDA W.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup maple flavored syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1.Bring orange juice and wine to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat slightly, but keep high enough to continue a low boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in maple syrup and continue boiling for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until glossy and just slightly thickened. Set aside.
2.In a small bowl mix together the rosemary, salt and pepper. Rub mixture on both sides of chicken breasts, and set aside.
3.Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts, cover skillet and saute for about 5 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Pour orange-maple mixture over chicken (mixture will boil and bubble). Reduce heat to simmer; cover and let cook for another 10 minutes, basting occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has turned into a rich, thick glaze.
Picked up kids from daycare. Gave Lily a library book I picked up over my lunch hour. She read the book all the way home. I carried her inside the house (very unusual given her toddler independence to do it herself) facing away from me while she continued to read. I placed her inside the door to the house so I could go back to the van and get Harrison. Harrison and I had to squeeze through the door because Lily had sat down right behind the door and continued to read while still wearing her coat and hat. For 15 minutes. I used that 15 minutes to get Harrison in the high chair and tended to the dogs (fresh water and a bathroom break). I soaked a couple cheerios and let Harrison entertain himself trying to pick them up. I gave him a couple pieces...he made a strange face but liked them. He was entertained for approximately 10 minutes.
I had some chicken I needed to use and I had a recipe I have been meaning to try so I decided last night was the night. Started boiling the OJ and cooking wine but had to tend to a hungry Lily. The boiling mixture boiled over so after giving Lily some goldfish I cleaned up the mess and started cooking the rice. Harrison was getting hungry and since he couldn't get any cheerios into his mouth I started to feed him his winter squash. You have to continually spoon feed him until the jar is gone or he will let you know his displeasure with your relaxed pace. Lily was done reading so I put on a CD that goes with another book. This is our first book on CD so she didn't quite understand but enjoyed hearing the story and looking at the pages, although out of order. Wonder how much liquid escaped from my over boiled pot and if it would significantly impact my recipe...couldn't do anything about it so I added the maple syrup. Cut up fresh rosemary, mix with S&P. Heard the garage door. Yay!!! Randy was home early. Instructed Randy to finish feeding Harrison his 2nd (smaller) jar of baby food.
Rub rosemary/S&P onto chicken breasts, heated olive oil and butter in pan and cooked chicken. Gasped at the book on CD when the evil step mother said Snow White must be killed and she wanted her heart to know she was dead. Randy stopped CD and started preparing Lily's plate. I added the liquid mix to the chicken breasts to cook a few more minutes to thicken the sauce. Got Lily some creamed corn (which she loved) and rice, then she tried the chicken. Randy and Lily both loved the rosemary chicken and gave it a thumbs up so I'll keep the recipe close for future use. But I'll attempt to cook it without distractions. If it's good without the full recipe just imagine what it could taste like with all the ingredients!
For anyone interested...
Rosemary Chicken with Orange-Maple Glaze Via Allrecipes.com
SUBMITTED BY: LINDA W.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup maple flavored syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1.Bring orange juice and wine to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat slightly, but keep high enough to continue a low boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in maple syrup and continue boiling for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until glossy and just slightly thickened. Set aside.
2.In a small bowl mix together the rosemary, salt and pepper. Rub mixture on both sides of chicken breasts, and set aside.
3.Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts, cover skillet and saute for about 5 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Pour orange-maple mixture over chicken (mixture will boil and bubble). Reduce heat to simmer; cover and let cook for another 10 minutes, basting occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has turned into a rich, thick glaze.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Crazy hip mama's recipe rally
Because I need help with blog topics I opted for the recipe rally today. We are supposed to post a favorite potato recipe. It took me a while to think of a favorite potato recipe until I remembered my twice baked potatoes. Delicious!
When I first started cooking it was difficult to get recipes from family members (my mom and mother-in-law;). They wouldn't use exact measurements and instead used approximate measurements or the "taste" measurement. As a new cook that was hard but now I've turned into that cook, the one who uses a big spoon and calls it a tablespoon or throws in extra brown sugar because you can never have too much brown sugar. :)
So from memory without any specific measurements here you go:
Twice baked potatoes
4 large potatoes
3/4 cup (ish) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (ish) bacon bits
1/2 cup (ish) sour cream
1/4 cup (ish) milk
2 Tablespoons (ish) butter
Pierce potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave for approximately 8 minutes or until middle is easily pieced with fork. Cut a oval shape on one side and remove potato while maintaining the skin in a boat shape. Mix potato, milk, butter, bacon bits, and cheese and spoon back into the potato skin boat. Sprinkle some cheese over the top and cook in the oven (350 degrees) until heated through, approximately 15 minutes.
Good luck with that recipe!
When I first started cooking it was difficult to get recipes from family members (my mom and mother-in-law;). They wouldn't use exact measurements and instead used approximate measurements or the "taste" measurement. As a new cook that was hard but now I've turned into that cook, the one who uses a big spoon and calls it a tablespoon or throws in extra brown sugar because you can never have too much brown sugar. :)
So from memory without any specific measurements here you go:
Twice baked potatoes
4 large potatoes
3/4 cup (ish) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (ish) bacon bits
1/2 cup (ish) sour cream
1/4 cup (ish) milk
2 Tablespoons (ish) butter
Pierce potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave for approximately 8 minutes or until middle is easily pieced with fork. Cut a oval shape on one side and remove potato while maintaining the skin in a boat shape. Mix potato, milk, butter, bacon bits, and cheese and spoon back into the potato skin boat. Sprinkle some cheese over the top and cook in the oven (350 degrees) until heated through, approximately 15 minutes.
Good luck with that recipe!
Monday, April 07, 2008
Memory preservation via the blog
On the way to our nephew, Payton's, basketball game we stopped at a playground. Randy stayed in the van with a sleeping Harrison while Lily and I went and played. We were swinging side by side and she was looking at me with the biggest smile on her face. I wanted that moment to freeze forever. It was a beautiful day with the final moments of the sun warming us as we laughed together.
Yesterday I was laughing at Lily and caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye...Harrison was smiling at me with a big grin...big enough to extend past his binkie. He wasn't directly facing me but his eyes were on me. When I looked at him he giggled. We played this little game for a while and his smile never faded.
Harrison now copies us. He has a fake cough that is sort of a laugh. He will do the fake cough/laugh, then Lily will laugh, then Harrison repeats his fake cough/laugh. This can go on and on for a while and it's really cute to watch. Harrison also reached his foot rest on the high chair and started bouncing up and down. When he stopped I pretended to bounce and he started doing it again.
Randy and I have been getting "told" by Lily. For example, Randy was being a little noisy and Lily told him "You be quiet, baby is sleeping." Yesterday at the park Randy told Lily I was being mean to him (joking of course) to which Lily told me while pointing her finger "You don't be mean." After we've been told Randy and I get a good chuckle out of it and say "You got told by a 2 year old."
Yesterday I was laughing at Lily and caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye...Harrison was smiling at me with a big grin...big enough to extend past his binkie. He wasn't directly facing me but his eyes were on me. When I looked at him he giggled. We played this little game for a while and his smile never faded.
Harrison now copies us. He has a fake cough that is sort of a laugh. He will do the fake cough/laugh, then Lily will laugh, then Harrison repeats his fake cough/laugh. This can go on and on for a while and it's really cute to watch. Harrison also reached his foot rest on the high chair and started bouncing up and down. When he stopped I pretended to bounce and he started doing it again.
Randy and I have been getting "told" by Lily. For example, Randy was being a little noisy and Lily told him "You be quiet, baby is sleeping." Yesterday at the park Randy told Lily I was being mean to him (joking of course) to which Lily told me while pointing her finger "You don't be mean." After we've been told Randy and I get a good chuckle out of it and say "You got told by a 2 year old."
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
After a wonderful trip to visit family in SD (sorry extended family...not enough time...but I'll post more pictures soon to tide you over until our next visit) and Iowa I was hit with a head cold and body aches. I felt miserable enough that I didn't play any April Fool's Day jokes. My brother called to say he got my mom so I should wait a while to play a joke on her. I had one ready but never got around to calling. Can I declare tomorrow April Fool's Day?
I'll post more about our trip soon.
I'll post more about our trip soon.
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