June Fun

Here's Ben and Zeke.

Beki and I took the kids to an animal show today.  I had high hopes that it would be really awesome.  Well... it was just ok.  The presenters were saying technical things about the animals instead of just showing the animals.  We had a discussion when we got home about if Jesus was the presenter what animals would he have shown.  We decided he'd probably have shown us a whale suspended in air... just cause he could.  Also... we decided he'd be awesome because he could control your kids too.  Fantastic.

Here's Aunt Beki and Gwen.  Boy, was I glad she was there.  Even the cookies I packed along weren't enough to stop the fits near the end.

I thought they were going to pull out a hawk or something awesome..but no... a turkey.  It still was pretty.

hedgehog

snake

No matter how hard we try we can never get one photo with both kids looking at the camera.

There was a one room school house on the property there and it was very interesting.  Take a look at these rules. :)

Gwen trying out the desk.

Trying out the outhouse.  That's the nicest outhouse I've ever seen.  Uh, and yes, I've seen a few and not of the port-o-potty type.

Gwen in the old timey potty.

The Kids

Gwen playing "golf"

Aunt Beki and Zeke in his "koala" hold.  Isn't he a doll?  She's pretty cute too. :)

In the Land of Pee and Poop

My writing has been sporadic this week because I am now in the trenches of potty training Gwen.  She really has decided this all on her own... to which I encourage it all that I can.  The idea of her going to the potty instead of diapers is a triumphant one for me.  She is in the stage now where she wants to do everything, I mean everything, by herself.  She wants to dress herself, get in the van herself, buckle herself in and make her own lunches.  She has a lot of meltdowns lately when she realizes that things do not always go like that and that she must receive help sometimes.  She is not 100% on the potty yet, but she's learning to listen to her body and tell me she needs the potty.  She is just now 2, so I'm not stressing over it or pushing her....but I actually do have a 3 lb bag of gummy worms that I use as rewards.  I don't give that stuff out much, but pooping in the potty gets a big ol fat gummy worm... and she loves it.  :)  Any tips you parents have I would appreciate!!

The Garden

Here are some pictures from my garden.  Here's a baby green bean.

One of my carrots.

Tomatoes

summer squash, cantaloupe, butternut squash and strawberries.

My garden helper and her famous smile.

Gwen helped me pick these tonight.  This is what we got in one night!  What a bounty!

Zeke's First Meal

It's like this boy was born to eat!  He is soooo cute and cuddly.

Meal Plan

cilantro-pesto chicken, grilled zucchini, steamed broccoli
quick oatmeal raisin pancakes, strawberries from garden
homemade pizza (fresh mozzarella and basil this time), salad
grilled shrimp, cous cous, cucumber slices
pork chops, broccoli fritters (can't get enough!), asparagus, leftover melon and pineapple from party
mom's 15 minute bean soup, rosemary faccacia

*blueberry-citrus muffins
*cinnamon granola bars- made them and they are already gone.  Gwen loved them also.  Going to make again maybe tonight if I have enough energy.
*steel cut oats

*indicates breakfast items

This week at the whole foods market I bought whole wheat pastry flour which I've never tried before.  I'll use it in the blueberry-citrus muffins.  Also, I bought stone ground whole wheat flour (love it!) and my steel cut oats.  My next post has to be about my garden.  It is doing so well.  We are getting a steady harvest of strawberries now and the squashes are growing like you wouldn't believe!  The green beans have flowered and are doing their thing and I have even found oh, maybe 7 carrots that didn't float away in the storms.  So I'm excited to see how everything does.  The cucumbers are looking a little unhappy, but I'm sure with all the rain we've been having that they will perk up in time.  See how gardening makes you so happy?  Not that I want to be a farmer, but seeing all those crops come up that you planted must be so satisfying.

Oat Obsession

Cinnamon Granola Bars- made these tonight and liked them very much.

1/4 C butter, softened
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 T ground flaxseed
2 T honey
2 C old-fashioned oats
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C raisins

In a large bowl,  beat butter and brown sugar until crumbly.  Add egg, beat well.  Stir in flax and honey.  In another bowl, combine oats, flour, cinnamon and baking soda.  Stir into creamed mixture just until blended.  Gently stir in raisins.
Press into an 11X7 in baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 18 min or maybe a few minutes more if you like crunchy granola bars.  Cool and then cut into bars.

Gwen's Party- 2

Gwen's Party

Today we had Gwen's second birthday party.  What a fun time we had!  Here is Gwen helping to prepare for her party.  Aunt Beki handed her both beaters to lick... hummmm.

This morning in her princess bathing suit and "flashing shoes."

She also helped prepare by filling up the swimming pool.  Her infamous "smile."

She had such a good time on the slip-n-slide.

Stopping for a drink of water.

Little Atharv.  Can you see the slip-n-slide in his eyes?  What a cutie!

Caleb.  What an angel.

This picture might be my favorite of the day.  Gwen doing her "smile" with her friend Katie Beth in the background.

Ben rigged up a really fun slide in the pool thing.  I knew I married a smart man!

I can't leave my gorgeous out of this.  Here he is.

Ben tested the slip-n-slide and managed to receive a pretty nasty grass burn on his chest as a result.

He also tested the slide into the pool.  I'm not sure of the results of this maneuver.

Remember my Christmas pinata?  Well, I was just too pregnant and tired to do it at Christmas time, so we did it today.  They didn't question it at all that it was a Christmas tree.  We put gummies and super big marshmallows in it.  My brother Preston thought it was prefilled and when he saw the giant marshmallows in zip lock bags he thought that the pinata was "ghetto" until I told him I put the marshmallows in there thank you very much.  By the way, they didn't wack it with a stick.  We pulled the ribbons on the bottom and it had a trap door that opened it.

Opening presents.  She got so many wonderful things.

Me with Katie Beth and Gwen.  After this picture was taken, Gwen fussed and wiggled out of my lap.  I looked over at Katie Beth and said "well, at least your happy."  :)  Wouldn't you know on the day of her party Gwen wakes up before 6am?  LOVELY!  videos to follow.

Even Before I Was Born

Today, Gwen, Zeke and I were singing some songs I'm trying to teach Gwen.  They relate to the Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens.  We also did this song.. my first solo in church.  I thought it was very appropriate for Gwen's 2nd birthday today.

Even before I was born,
God knew my name
the number of hairs on my head,
the fact that none of them are the same.
Even before I began to grow
He knew there's something special 'bout me
the twinkle in my eyes and the way that I smile
He knew that I was meant to be.

Gwen's Stats and Unusual Sightings

Gwen had her two year old doctor's appointment today.  She was 28 lbs, which is the 67th percentile and 35.25 inches tall which is the 84th percentile.  They said that since January she's grown 3 inches!  While we were there Gwen chose a sticker.  I got a huge kick out of it.  A shrimp and a taco with sombreros on!  HA!

The first rainbow I've ever seen in Kansas.

Today I bought these.  They are called Campfire marshmallows and I'm going to put some in zip lock bags and put in the pinata along with individual wrapped gummies.

Meal Plan

Company Night- provencal chicken breasts, green beans, corn, cantaloupe, broccoli fritters (cause you know I can't get enough of em)
pesto pepper pizza, salad, cantaloupe- had this tonight and the pesto pizza was a hit
shrimp, linguini with pesto
turkey patties, salad, asparagus
orange roughy, grilled zucchini

and finally... the menu for Gwen's party on Saturday:

Indian Style Grilled Chicken (for the adults)
peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly and egg salad sandwiches for the kids (made with a device that my neighbor has that turns them into circles sealed on all sides)
veggie tray- celery, carrots, cucumbers and peppers
hummus- for the adults, ranch dressing for the kids to add to the veggies
cut up fruit- watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries and fresh pineapple
shark crackers- like goldfish

and for the dessert- Super Moist Chocolate Cake Mini Muffins, Ice Cream (store bought- I'll make homemade ice cream for July 4th I've decided.)

Going To Grandma's

Gwen had a great time at Grandma's house last night.  She got to eat yogurt at dinner and have gummies and sleep in Grandma's big bed.  She also got to see a fire engine today.  Pam was having a hard time putting the car seat in and so she strapped it down with a seat belt and drove over to the fire station near her house to see if they'd help her put it in.  They did help her and while they were putting it in Gwen got held by one of the firemen there and got to check out the fire truck.

Family Photos

Zeke in the beanbag I got for Gwen's birthday.

Gwen and Zeke with Grandma Pam and Aunt Beki.  Look at Gwen's smile and Zeke's face.  Priceless!

We all thought this one was funny because of Gwen's smile and Rusty's kiss.

Grandma and the kids.  Tonight Gwen is staying with Grandma.  I watched her wave at me in the car, came in and I might have shed a couple of tears.  I know... it's just one night... :)  She's my precious and constant companion.  I almost don't know what to do without her around.  I said almost.

Stuff I Want To Do

I thought just for fun I'd make a list of stuff I want to do sometime in my lifetime.  Here's the beginnings of that list.

- see a whale in person
- see how they harvest cranberries
- tour a marshmallow making factory
- go to India
- go to Alaska and see fishermen fish for salmon
- see a real igloo
- go to Montana and ride horses as a family on a dude ranch
- visit the Aurora colony in Aurora, Oregon

What would you like to do? :)

Hair, Lightning, and Growing Up

I got my hair cut yesterday.  I decided I couldn't stand long hair in this heat and I have so much hair and I can never dry it... you get the picture.  Besides, it was starting to look like an Amish woman with it always back in the perpetual ponytail.  I took this photo of myself.  You know, when you take photos of yourself you notice things like how wide your nose is... anyway.  Insecure anyone?

I got a book from the library recently about lightning.  I got it really for Gwen to look at the photos, but she wasn't that interested after a few minutes.  I, however, was amazingly entertained.  I learned that every day lightning strikes the earth about 10 million times.  10 million!  I also learned that scientists really do not know how lightning is created and it is still debated.  There are many different types of lightning, but what I found interesting was the kinds of lightning that spark at the edge of space.  Apparently, pilots have reported seeing this phenomenon for a long time, but it is hard to document.  They are called sprites, elves, and jets. I also thought ball lightning was very interesting.  A huge ball of light like an angel or something.  This photo is of a sprite.

Gwen is growing up before my eyes.  In a few short days she will be 2 years old.  Suddenly she has decided she no longer wants to drink from a sippy cup.  She prefers a real cup, thank you very much.  She also doesn't want milk anymore.  She wants water.  She thinks because we drink water it is a "treat."  She also will not let me help her into her car seat.  I'm standing there, holding Zeke and 20 minutes later she gets out of the car.  I'm exaggerating, but I try to be understanding of her independent nature.  I think it is good that she is brave enough to try things on her own and I don't want to squelch that spirit of hers.  Sometimes it is hard to be patient with a toddler finding their own way in the world... but I think it's worth it.

Zeke is growing too and is now 5 months old.  He is still the quiet, sweet natured little boy he always was.  He loves to see Gwen and laughs at her when she talks to him.  He loves to play peek a boo and likes it when I act surprised.  Zeke strikes me as a child that will let me help him into the car seat at age 2.  :)  They are rather different.

Queen of Sheba

I've been short on words lately because I have been exhausted.  You ever feel like you are 12 steps behind what you should be?  I went to sleep last night at 8:30 if that tells you anything.  This was playing ball yesterday.  Gwen loved her head scarf we concocted.

Sat Morn

Does it get cuter than this?

Meal Plan

I haven't posted a meal plan in a while.  Things have just been busy around here with Ben's dad's visit, my parent's visit, and then Beki moving in.  Now we are getting back into a normal pace and I can think a little.  (I said a little)

citrus mahi- mahi with orange relish, salad
sloppy cornbread muffins, salad
moroccan stew
tacos
turkey burgers, sweet potatoes, broccoli fritters
homemade pizza

*My next project now that my vanilla extract is tucked away in the basement to do its thing is to make my own pesto.  I have a basil plant and that just seems like a perfect way to use it for me.  I can't wait to try homemade basil on pizza!

Vanilla Extract Making

I was inspired by another blog to do a project.  I'm making my own homemade vanilla extract.  It takes six months to do, so I'll give it away as presents for Christmas and keep some for myself.  I ordered the vanilla beans off of amazon.com and then went to a liquor store and bought the vodka.  I put it all together today and it will go in the basement and just wait it out.  If you're interested in the recipe... here's the link to the blog I got it from. http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/  I highly recommend it.  I buy vanilla extract from Aldi for say 5 dollars and it is 2 fl oz.  I'm making 32 of those bottles and have spent $37 for this project.  Apparently, this extract is supposed to be very strong too, so you only have to use half the amount you normally do.

While I cut vanilla beans, Gwen was stirring water in the sink.  I do believe she sampled some of her "soup" too.  Here she is smiling.

Here's what Zeke was doing.

My vodka.

vanilla beans

all done.

Beki has now moved in with us and she is settling in.  I found this plush toy Giardia very amusing.  By the way, Giardia is basically diarrhea.  To me, it looks like a shrimp wearing fringe.  

Today we had a really good time swimming in a little plastic pool my mother-in-law bought for Gwen.  I'd put pictures on here, but she was skinny dipping. :)