Easter Egg Hunt

Today was our church's Easter egg hunt.  I've never been to this event because Gwen was so little.  But now that she can walk around I thought she'd like to give it a go.  I'm not into the Easter bunny and as a kid we never got visited by the Easter bunny either.  I think it's pretty much just another excuse for kids to get candy and become obese. :)
I don't think I was prepared for what I saw when I pulled up.  They had the Easter eggs out in a corded off portion of lawn and there were thousands of eggs sitting in broad daylight.  When I was a kid, we walked over to the pastor's house where they actually hid the eggs and they weren't plastic eggs filled with stickers and candy.  They were hard boiled eggs and we were thrilled with them.  There was a prize egg too with money, but I never got that one I don't think.  It was like $1 too... but we were tripping all over ourselves for the dollar.  Anyway, I digress...

Gwen had a great time.  They had a small area that was fenced in for the 2 and under to participate.  I'm glad because she would have been trampled otherwise.  She liked the stickers, but didn't like the idea of getting in the car and coming home.  To pacify her Ben passed her eggs as they rode home and he told me that there are loads of stickers in the floor of the minivan now.

I asked her today if she would like to go look for eggs and she turned around and said "eeeeggggs?" like she was calling them.

Here are my two cuties.  Isn't Gwen looking like a little girl now?

Stuff I'm Learning

Here lately I've felt like this little stuffed animal.  Today I was nursing Zeke in one room and Gwen walked into the other room out of my eyeshot.  She got the remains of her breakfast bar and proceeded to smear it all over her hands and the crumbs were all over the floor.  She also tried to feed her little friend some of her food.  Life with a toddler and a baby are um... interesting some days and here's what I'm learning the hard way.

1.  Under no circumstance ever feed a toddler cous cous.
2.  Never underestimate the endurance of a toddler throwing a fit.
3.  If you think you are even natured and stuff doesn't get on your nerves, you're wrong.
4.  If you think you've got it all together, think again.
5.  Pretty much I will never go to the bathroom alone again.
6.  Motherhood is one of those things that never stops... not ever.. I mean ever.  Even when they move out I will worry or be concerned for them.  No matter if I'm out by myself or with them, they are on my mind.
7.  Can you really have two many pairs of sweat pants?  I have built quite an array of colors that I'm pretty proud of.
8.  If you see a toddler holding a full bag of rice in her hands and it has nothing but a clothes pin closing it you had better run marathon style to get it.

Also.. as a bonus, today I learned that the bulby thing on top of an octopus isn't it's head... it's the stomach and other organs.  The head is really small.

Conversations with Zeke

Zeke is almost 3 months.  I can't believe it.  The time has flown by.  I think because Gwen takes up most of my brain power these days.  She has just recently begun screaming like people in a horror film when she isn't happy.  It's quite stunning I assure you.  She is learning so much all at once I can barely keep up with her.  I keep getting books at the library and she remembers the information!  Right now she's interested in octopuses, bird's nests, snowmen and rabbits and dolphins and whales.  Today we went on a walk and we saw an earth worm.  Ben picked it up and put it on the grass.  Maybe 15-20 minutes later we get back to the same spot we saw the worm and Gwen says "worm, worm" looking for it.  Stuff like that amazes me.  She also has an independence streak a mile wide.  She is not the type of kid to hide behind my skirt.  She is out there in the middle of it all and wanting so badly to be in the mix.  I love that she is so outgoing.
I think everyone who has a near two year old should have an infant to love and cuddle.  It keeps the whole thing in perspective for me.  I can not even describe accurately how adorable this boy is.  He is so easy going and sweet with little smiles all the time.  He loves his food and he has his father's ears.  I'm wondering if he'll be a little   less outgoing.  I think that would be interesting.  Here he is the other day:

  

On other news, I have been listening to a nursery rhyme CD in the car and it has this rhyme to song on it.  I'm one of those that can never ignore music.  I walk into a store, I notice the music... sit in a car, notice the music.  Well, this poem bothers me because I don't know what a runcible spoon is.  Also, what is an owl and a pussycat doing getting married and what kind of animal would result to for mentioned marriage.  AND what is quince?  Answers to follow poem. :)

The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are, you are, you are,
What a beautiful Pussy you are."
Pussy said to the Owl "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long we have tarried;
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose, his nose, his nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling your ring?"
 Said the Piggy, "I will"
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.


*A runcible spoon is a small fork with three prongs, one having a sharp edge, and curved like a spoon. This spoon is used to eat  pickles, etc.  It's essentially a spork.
*I'm not sure about the resulting children of an owl and pussycat.  Still bothers me.
*A quince is a small, deciduous tree, which bears fruit. The fruit is bright yellow when mature (green when immature), and bears a resemblence to a pear. They mature in late autumn with a hard flesh which emits a strong perfume. The flowers have five pink-white petals and are produced in spring.

At Greek weddings, the quince was often presented at weddings, as part of a ritual. The Quince would be used to perfume the bride's kiss before the ceremony, to prevent an unpleasant first greeting. The Romans would stew quince with honey and combine them with leeks.

Quince is often too hard and sour to eat, though it can be softened by frost. They can be peeled, stewed, roasted, baked or used to make jam, jelly or quince pudding. Quince seeds, however, are poisonous and should not be eaten.

Because of its strong perfume, quince is often used as a flavour enhancer for jam and apple pies. Quinces may have been cultivated before apples.

The Spanish eat quince with cheese, using it to make a kind of jelly-like mixture, and quince juice is often made from organic farming in Germany.

Meal Plan

I didn't post a meal plan for last week because it took me so long to get through with all the meals I had planned and didn't get around to.  Here's this next week I have planned.

Vegetarian tex-mex peppers
Curry Chicken stir fry, brown rice
Spinach orzo salad, grilled chicken, salad
crunchy broccoli salad, sandwiches
slow cooked meatloaf, baked potato, green beans
tenderloin, salad, potato

Fasionista

I hear this off the shoulder number is very popular this year.  :)

Laugh and Gwen

Today after a particularly hard day with the kids Ben suggested I go across the street and get Chinese food for us instead of me cooking.  I did, and my fortune made me laugh.  God really does have a sense of humor.

Here are a couple of videos of Gwen.  She sings very often now and this is a medley of sorts of the ABC song, Ba Ba Black Sheep, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  The second video is of her identifying her letters.  I knew she could identify some, so I wrote the alphabet out on cards just to see which ones she knew.  She knew more than I realized and within a couple of weeks has them all down.  Amazing.

Verse of the Day

For all you nursing mothers out there.

Psalm 22:9  "Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast."

For those who feel weary of the crying.

Psalm 8:2 "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."

Gwen and Zeke

Both Kids Napping!

Both kids are napping, so I can share with you how God opened my eyes today. (He has to do that on a regular basis)  Lately I've been feeling a little like someone on a deserted island in my house all day and like no one cares that I am here on the island.  I have had a mixture of feeling sorry for myself or feeling that I am not all the things I want to be.  I want to be thinner, make a comforting and welcoming home for Ben to come home to (i.e. clean), and a Godly and wise mother and awesome cook.  Instead of welcoming Ben home the way I wanted to, I would complain or tell him how tired I was or congratulate him on getting his bike riding workout in and hand him a kid.  Not real becoming.  Today I was listening to this thing on Christian radio and she said some reference to Psalm 113 and being a happy mother.  Now, let me just say, I know that I am blessed beyond anything I ever ever deserve and I am a happy mother most of the time.  Sometimes like this week have been challenging.

This really helped me when I looked up the Psalm.  The whole Psalm is beautiful, but here is verse 9:  "He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children."  I'm not barren, but the thing I got out of it was that it was GOD that would settle me and give me peace and ultimately make me a happy mother.  What I was missing all this week was asking God how He views me, how He wants me to spend my time.  There are so many things that want to cram into your time and heart.  I turned on a movie this week and was astonished at the crassness of it.  If I spend my time letting that into my heart, what kind of parent would I become?  What kind of person?


I know I can't be all those things I listed above, but one thing I can do.. rely on the Lord to settle me.  That's it really.  I can make my little pizza doughs and try to clean a little here and there too.. but really, in light of eternity,  what is important?  That I be a follower of Christ and that I give myself sacrificially to my family and others that need peace too.  I can't give that away until I get it from God myself.  Well... that's it for today.

Laugh of the Day

This is a picture of a house around the corner from ours.  I guess someone got a little pruning in.  This tree always makes me laugh.

Just Cause

Here are some pictures of the kids today.  Gwen is getting so big.  She is 21 months today.  She is a beautiful child with the prettiest blue eyes and pink little lips.  She has quite a personality too and here lately when she want to divert my attention from disciplining her she holds out both hands and says "hug."  

Zeke is such a sweet little guy.  I feel sort of sorry that I don't get to hold him quite as much as I did with Gwen.  He's got such big cheeks and smiles every time I engage him in conversation.  Every time I look at him I just think one word-- precious.

I gave him a bath today and put this shirt on him.  I got a laugh from it because these bears look like they are attacking the middle bear.  I think the middle bear has a tape measure, but let's be real... could you defend yourself with a tape measure?  I think not!

Craft and Zeke

Here's a picture of the poem with the feet.  I'm not sure I'd call it a craft....but hey... here you go!

Here is a picture of my Zeke.  He has some dry skin issues lately, but he sure has a sweet face.  He almost slept through the whole night last night.  He hasn't gotten into a schedule during the day though.  I think having an older sister that yells prevents some of that.  He is pretty happy go lucky until he's hungry.  He doesn't mess around then.  He lets you know loud and clear that he doesn't like waiting for the food.  I guess he gets that from both Ben and I.  :)  Tomorrow will be an entire week that Gwen has been totally off of the pacifier... or should I say, that I've been off of the pacifier.  What an accomplishment for her.  She is throwing fits some..mostly over whether or not to pick things up off of the floor.  As ridiculous as that sounds... the underlying thing is obedience.  She's not a big fan yet of that.  I guess we all struggle with that from time to time.    

Poem for Daddy

I did not write this, but I found it yesterday and thought it was so sweet.  We made an art project out of it.  I put yellow paint on a paper plate and I tried to get Gwen to step in it and then put her foot on a piece of construction paper.  Um.. it didn't quite work out with Gwen, so Zeke helped me out.  Then we put the poem on the paper.  I thought it would be a nice thing for him to have at work.

Walk a little slower, Daddy,
Said a little child so small.
I'm following in your footsteps,
and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
Your'e what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you.

Meal Plan

I didn't get around to some stuff last week, so it will be repeated this week.  I've decided to make Fridays homemade pizza night here at the Barreth house and if we don't have small group, I'll invite a family to come and share dinner with us that night for fun, practicing hospitality, and to have people to play Quiddler with!

broccoli cheese soup
tamale casserole
tortellini
tilapia, salad, green beans
turkey burgers, salad
beef stew
homemade pizza
teriaki stir fry

Recipes

If you like the kind of nuts you can get at the mall, or on the street in NYC, well... these are those.  I used pecans last night and made these..but you can use any nut you want.  

Spiced Nuts


1 egg white
1 pound nuts
sugar substitute or sugar 1/2 C (you can go a little less if you want... I used real sugar instead of sugar substitute. I don't do that stuff while breastfeeding or pregnant)
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

beat eggs until frothy.  Add nuts and cover them well in the egg white.  Mix other ingredients in separate bowl and then add to the nut/white mixture.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

I made homemade pizza last night using this dough recipe.  It was great!  Maybe we will try to do pizzas every Friday night and try different varieties.  That would be fun.  Does your family have a night where you make the same thing?  

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Source: http://macaroniandcheesecake.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (One packet)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Combine flours, yeast, salt, and sugar in a stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed.

Combine warm water and oil in a measuring cup.

With the motor running on low speed, gradually pour in enough of the liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.

Mix until the dough forms a ball, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 minute to knead.

Lightly coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch down and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before rolling.

*If you want to knead by hand feel free - knead for about 10 minutes.

As made, this recipe makes about 1 pound of dough.

To Bake:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle a little cornmeal on a clean surface and roll out the dough, use your hands to stretch it out. Place on sprayed pizza pan and spread out to desired thinness and size.

Pre-bake dough in oven for 3-4 minutes. Add desired toppings and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly, approximately 12 minutes or so.

A Smile

Zekey

At 2 months he weighs 13 lb 4.3 oz!!  81st percentile baby!

Change

See this?  This is Gwen's last pacifier that has been cut on the end and now in the trash can.  We've made the move to get her off of the pacifier now.  First we tried the cut the ends off method.  She didn't like it much, but after about 30 minutes of freak out she'd accept the nub.  I just decided it would be a lot easier to throw them away and do cold turkey.  I mean, if she's going to freak out anyway, why not right?  It really was because of Ben that we did this.  I wanted to hang on to that paci for my sanity, but Ben thought it was definitely time to get rid of it for several reasons.  It's unsanitary really, and she woke up sometimes at night when her paci fell out of bed, and the older you get the harder it is to get rid of it he thought.  She's doing really well.  She adapts well to change generally.  I know it's different with all children, but Ben's theory is that little kids deal much better with change than adults.  Ben is a big believer in change.  When the rest of his work buddies order the same thing every single Friday at the Chinese restaurant they go to... it's Ben trying something new every single week.  When we were looking for a house we were pregnant, Ben starting a new job all at the same time.  We thought it was exciting!  I wonder if he's right about kids and change.  I mean, one day I don't think Gwen can recognize any colors and the next she's saying "mother, not the chartreuse shirt!"  (she hasn't really said that yet)  Anyway, you get the picture.  If you ask dad's if kids handle change well they'd say "sure".  You ask the same question to a bunch of moms and they'd say "well, you have to be careful not to do too much."  One of my friends said that her pediatrician said not to make any big changes (like getting rid of paci) when you've been through a life change like a new baby coming home.  Then, I ask MY pediatrician yesterday and she said "get rid of it."  Can we not have a parenting summit or something and figure this stuff out???  I guess it depends on the kid...but this stuff is frustrating if you ask me.  Anyway, my baby girl is becoming a toddler!!  Woo Hoo!

Kick The Puppy

Well... I'm just kind of hanging out tonight so I guess I'll explain the "kick the puppy" comment.  When I was single I made up this phrase "kick the puppy" to tell someone to get rid of a guy that wasn't good for them.  That's kind of how it feels to get rid of someone you have feelings for and that's how it came about.  I was talking with someone and I used it in an analogy.  I said that it's kind of like a dog comes to your door and you are amused or you feel sorry for it so you feed it.  It comes again the next day.. no big deal...you feed it.  Then it starts coming every day and it starts taking up your time, your money, and emotional energy.  You know you shouldn't be feeding it, but you do.  You know you ought to find a way to get it off of your porch, but you've started developing feelings for it and you are not sure how to get it off or if you want it to really.  The thing is... you've got to "kick the puppy".  Even though it hurts you can't go on feeding this dog you can't let inside the house.  Yes, I know not all men are dogs and so forth.  I married an exceptional man myself and would never compare him to a dog.  But if I did... he'd be the giant flying dog from the Never Ending Story.  I just asked him what dog he'd like to be and he said that one. :)  That just goes to show how unique he truly is people!!

In my search for an image of the Never Ending Story dog I came across this painting someone did.  It's Jesus riding the Never Ending Story dog.  I really do not mean this to be sacrilegious, but I thought it was hilarious. 

My sister-in-law, Beki, says she took this idea global when she went to India.  She told people about it there and they latched on to it.  If you've ever had to break up with someone that wasn't good for you, well, I'll bet you identify with that analogy.

Things That Make You Go... Humm

These are dark photos, but this is a toy that we inherited from my sister.  It is a cute little dog.  I noticed something, um, special about this dog though.  I'm thinking maybe this dog does something special although I've never seen it do it.  You have to take a close look at the second photo to discover the special something.

Here are some other things that have interested me lately.

* The female European cuckoo can't be bothered to take care of her chicks.  She lays an egg in another bird's nest.  When the egg hatches, it's the other bird that does all the hard work, raising the chick.  She tricks other birds because her egg matches the others in the nest.
*Maras live in South America.  They're a kind of long-legged guinea pig.  Mara parents never join their babies in the burrow.  They whistle down the hole and the young come scampering out.
*Whale sharks lay the biggest eggs- one was found that had a 14 inch diameter.
*Each time a nine-banded armadillo gives birth, she has four identical babies.  They are either all female or all male.  This is because a single egg inside her splits into four, and all four parts begin to grow- into identical quadruplets.
*A mother harp seal's milk is so thick and rich that it looks more like mayonnaise than milk.  It's about ten times creamier than cow's milk and is such good food that you can almost see the harp seal pup growing fatter as it feeds.
*A mother tiger takes care of her cubs until they're about two years old.  But then she has another litter and ignores the older cubs.  It's not really cruel- the two year olds are grown now, and it's about time they took care of themselves.  (talk about "kick the puppy"!  If you don't know about "kick the puppy" then that is for another blog post)

Tough

Listened to this today.  It always makes me tear up.

Meal Plan

homemade pizza, salad
broccoli cheese soup, focaccia
chicken chickpea chili with brown rice, rest of edamame
coconut grilled chicken, yellow rice, black beans, curry sauce
roasted red pepper crusted tilapia, green beans and salad
tamale casserole, salad
tortellini- fast meal in case

Zeke Dedication

This is Zeke this morning at church.  He's getting chubby huh?  He is SO SWEET!!

Real Life

Thank you Lord for a sense of humor.  I honestly think I'd go insane if I couldn't laugh at myself.  Most of the time I like to keep this blog upbeat and without drama, but occasionally I like to pull back the curtain and let you see what my real life is like.  Here is what happened just this morning.


Zeke starts whining a bit in his bassinet and moving his arms about, so I sit up in bed and try to feed him.  He's falling asleep and just not into it and so I lay him back down in his bassinet and lay down myself for a few more minutes of shut eye.  Just as soon as I get the covers on and I settle in I hear Zeke go to the bathroom... #2.  So.. I sit back up and start to change his diaper.  Everything is going as planned until he starts peeing.  He pees on himself, his blanket, his face and head, outfit and the bassinet sheet before I can cover him up.  SO... I am wiping him off with cold wipes and he's screaming his head off.  I finally get a new diaper on, new outfit on, and by this time he's wide awake, so I'm feeding him.  Just as he gets started I hear Gwen wake up down the hall.  


I take Zeke into Gwen's room and finish nursing him all the while talking with Gwen, trying to sing with her.. and so forth.  She is standing in the crib, with the crib sheet almost all the way off and her diaper has leaked all over herself, but not on the sheet.  I lay Zeke down in her crib and lift her out.  I take off her clothes, change her diaper all the while giving her every stuffed animal within my reach to help her be still.  Then I set her down, pick up Zeke and tell Gwen we are going into my room so I can get into some clothes.  (I have someone coming over at 9am with their child to play)  So... I set Zeke down and Gwen is playing around pushing buttons on Zeke's bassinet to hear music and vibration and lights while I pull on my sweat pants (LOVE THEM) and brush my teeth.  There is no makeup, there is no brushing of the hair people... this is survival!  Then we all go downstairs.


I get Gwen's breakfast going, but before I can get her into her high chair she has put her stuffed animal puppy she sleeps with in the trash can.  I throw away an old empanada that she had left on her tray from last night and she comes apart.  Mind you, it is harder than a brick at this point.  So.. I get it out of the trash and put it on her tray again.  I know... I gave in.  Then I get bath water ready for Zeke.  While she's eating I give him a bath and then and only then do I have time for breakfast.  I hope this diet plan works for me.  OK.. enough real life.. let's get back to Ugli fruits and soup!!  :)

Ugli Fruit

So my neighbor came by yesterday and told me that her brother had this fruit called "ugli" fruit in his food class.  Just what are they teaching kids these days?  Anyhow... I had never heard of it before, but she said the teacher got it from Price Chopper and now I'm obsessed with getting one to try it.  I've read up on it and everything.  I'll have to report to all that read this blog just what an "ugli" fruit tastes like.  (It's supposed to be a cross between a grapefruit and a tangelo.. more on the tangelo side)  Here's a pic of it.  Now you know why they call it "ugli".

Steel Cut Oats

Someone from my small group made this for me after I had Zeke.  I thought it was so delicious that I got the recipe and made it tonight again.  It makes enough to fill a 9X13 casserole pan and it lasts all week for breakfasts.  If you've never tried steel cut oats, try them.. they are delicious and nutritious!  By the way, you can find steel cut oats in any grocery store, but sometimes they are expensive.  You can get them also at health food markets in bulk from the bins and that way they are cheaper.

Preheat oven to 325.  In a large nonstick pan, put 1 part steel-cut oats to 2 parts water.  For a 9X13, put 4 C oats and 8 C water.  Add a stick of butter, 1 C brown sugar (can cut down if it seems too much), a splash of vanilla, and a teaspoon of salt.  Add in whatever you like- cranberries, blueberries, raisins (about a cup worth).  In mine I put about a tablespoon worth of cinnamon and I added raisins.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until thick (around 30 minutes)- be sure to stir frequently.  Then pour it into a casserole dish, sprinkle brown sugar on top (I left this part out since I had it in the oatmeal as it cooked), and cook until most of the water is gone (I cooked mine for 25 minutes).  If you use a glass casserole dish you can look in there and see the water content.
If you want to make this a bit more decadent, the lady that gave this recipe to me said she's even put chocolate chips on top of the oatmeal.  She put that on after she put it in the casserole pan.  She said if you do this to skip the brown sugar so it doesn't get too sweet.

If you try it let me know. :)

Meal Plan

meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, green beans
french onion soup, salad
crock pot split pea soup
taco salad
spaghetti, salad
chicken, wild rice, lima beans
chickpea soup

This is the week of soup, as you can see.  We are trying to watch what we eat better.

Remembering Again

Me, my mom, and Preston.  Isn't my mom a fox?

Empanadas and Zeke Around Town

Well, I attempted to make empanadas today.  I made my own dough without shortening this time, but boy, was it time consuming.  I think I'm done with making little meat pies for now.  Now that I've seen what goes into pie dough, I definitely will never think the same about it.  These were ham and cheese empanadas.

This is just around the corner from our house.  Zeke's paint and design center.  I wonder if there is an actual Zeke.  I've looked online and all I can find are bars and delis and coffee shops with the name Zeke attached to them.  There aren't many Zeke's out there I don't think.  

Remembering

This is an oldie but a goodie that I got from my sister.  Here are the kids in my family.  I'm the one holding the rabbit.  I'm pretty sure this was Easter morning and I think I was very proud that I got to wear "lipstick", meaning vaseline on my lips.  Take a good look at Preston.  Doesn't he look like my kids?

Zeke's Verse

We are planning to dedicate Zeke at church on March 7th.  Here are the verses we've chosen as our prayer for him.

Psalm 27:7-8
"Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, 'Seek His face!'  Your face, Lord, I will seek."

The Messes of a Toddler

This is Gwen painting with daddy.  She has paint even in her hair.  Ben got this photo and asked her to smile.  This is her attempt at smiling... :)

She just keeps the laughs going at this house.  Here she is after drinking some cocoa from mama's cup.




Her attempt at smiling again.  PRECIOUS!

Zeke and a Laugh

Here's a picture of Zeke.  His baby acne is clearing up now and he's such an adorable little boy.  Such an easy going, quiet little boy.  We'll see if that lasts.  :)

The other night we were having Bible time using a children's Bible Gwen has.  We got to the story when Jesus is resurrected and appears to the disciples.  This is the picture it has for the disciples being all happy that Jesus is alive again.  We thought it was funny that they disciples on the right are giving each other high five.

Gwen Singing

Here is a video of Gwen singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star".  P-R-E-C-I-O-U-S!

Sovereign God

Soak up this song this Sunday morning!  Woo hoo!

Meal Plan

French onion soup, sandwich rolls, brownies- having someone over for dinner
spaghetti, salad, turkey meatballs, garlic bread
slow cooker split pea soup with turkey ham, left over garlic bread
ham and cheese empanadas, salad
turkey tenderloin, steamed broccoli

Gwen and Soup

This is Gwen today.  I turned around one minute and then look at her again and this is what I saw.  :)  Makes me laugh.  Also, today I was nursing Zeke and I heard Gwen on the monitor waking from a nap.  Instead of her usual call for me, she started singing "twinkle twinkle little star."  It really touched my heart and I sat there and cried.  I'm so thankful for my two wonderful children.  I'm also thankful for my loving husband.  When he got home I was pretty beat, so he told me he'd feed Gwen and I could go upstairs for a nap.  I did and then when I came downstairs I made the soup below.  It is from the weight watchers recipe book, and for those of you that like to try new things... let me just say, it is easy and delicious!  You know me and soups!  You just can't go wrong with a soup that has peanut butter as one of the ingredients!  Fantastic!  I had it with a bit of nan bread.

Senegalese Peanut Soup

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 C chicken stock or chicken broth (I used chicken broth)
3 T natural creamy peanut butter
1 tsp peanut oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 (1 inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste (I put it on top because I didn't want to make the whole pot spicy)
2 T chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried cilantro on top of each bowl)

1.  In a blender or food processor (I used food processor), combine the chickpeas, 1/2 C of the stock, and the peanut butter; puree.
2.  In a large nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil.  Saute the onions and ginger until the onions are soft.  Stir in the curry and cumin; saute 1 minute longer.  Add the remaining 2 1/2 C of stock, the tomatoes and the chickpea mixture; simmer 5 minutes to blend the flavors.  (I simmered longer because I was nursing)  Season with the cayenne and cilantro.

A Bushel and A Peck

Wonder what song I can't get out of my mind in the last few days?  Here it is:



My mom sent a Valentine to Gwen with this song in it when you open it.  Last night I caught Ben singing it to Gwen.  Wanna hear his version?  Here it is:

I love you a bushel and a peck
a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck
a hug around the neck and I kick you in the eye
I kick you in the eye and I'll steal your cherry pie

:)  Made me laugh

Biscotti

Have I ever mentioned that I like food?  Ok, I have a new "thing" and that is biscotti.  They aren't as sweet as cookies and not quite as tempting to me, but still satisfying.  I allow myself one a day and it is nice with some hot tea.  Here's one I made recently.  This recipe is from Weight Watchers recipe and has a points value of 1.   Below is the recipe and a picture.  I'm sorry that my food photography is so horrible.  You should see some of the photography on other blogs... beautiful!  Oh well! :)

Chocolate Espresso Biscotti

2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C slivered almonds
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 T ground coffee (I used instant coffee)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
3 T strong brewed coffee (I used milk instead)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a baking sheet and set aside.  Combine flour, almonds, cocoa, ground coffee, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, brewed coffee, and vanilla.  Add the sugar mixture to flour mixture and beat on low speed until well combined and a fairly dry dough forms.  Divide the dough in two. Shape into two "logs" on your cookie sheet and pat down a little.  Bake about 20 minutes and then take them out and rest for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, lower the temp of the oven to 300.  Cut and arrange cookies as a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side.  (I don't like mine SO crunchy, so I cut down the time on this step)  Biscotti will crisp as they cool.

Also this week I tried my hand at making Cornish pasties. (pronounced paaa  sties like the sound in action)  They are like little meat pies that coal miners used to eat with their dirty hands and then throw the end away.  That's what Ben told me.  They were ok, but it was harder than I thought to make the pie crust and it grosses me out to deal with shortening.  I just think of Dr. Oz's face shaking side to side when I get it out.  Anyway, next I'd like to try empanadas or Indian somosas.  I guess every culture has it's own little meat pie huh?  Maybe the American one would be the chicken pot pie?  

Around the House

Today Ben had the day off for President's Day (gotta love those Presidents!) and so we went to the library for "rhyme time" for Gwen to participate in and then we went to Chick-Fil-A as a special treat.  Gwen loves it there because she gets to play in the play area.  Ben takes her in there and watches her, but at one point today she got out of his sight in the tubing stuff.  He said he heard the kids saying "I've got the baby" and things like that and he knew they were talking about Gwen.  Then this little boy came out and said "they won't let us have the baby, they've captured your baby sir."  Ben said to the kids just to leave her alone.  Mind you, they weren't doing anything mean to her...but just "taking care" of the baby meaning talking to her and probably passing her around. Then when Ben was getting Gwen out and pulling her down the stairs from the tubing part the little boy emerged again and said, "we took good care of your baby, sir" and saluted.  I found that very funny.

Tonight we had our first family Bible time.  We've been talking about it for ages, but just now have put it into action.  We have decided that after dinner and cleanup that that would be a good time for us.  We spread out a blanket on the living room floor and read Psalm 1 tonight and talked about it.  Gwen pretended to be a tree planted by water and she told us that there were birds in her tree.  I asked her if there were squirrels in her tree and if they were trying to get nuts and I heard Ben snicker.  Then we went around and said something about our day... something we were thankful for or something we'd like to share with the family.  Gwen decided to sing "Twinkle, twinkle" for her contribution.  Then we ended in prayer.  Zeke was there too...but he was sleeping.  Afterwards we had a good time together singing London Bridge and playing horsie on daddy's back.  So.. how do you all do family devotions and how do you make them special?  I've thought it would be neat when they get older to light a candle...but that isn't going to happen for a long time!!

Finally, a video of Gwen counting to ten.  She is unprompted here, other than what you hear.  I find it remarkable that she is doing this.  I mean, we haven't really worked on it per say.  She is a bright little girl I think.  Of course, every mother thinks they have a gifted kid. :)

In The Palm Of Your Hand

I'm trying to get this song together for me to sing it at church.  We have a dobro player and guitar and mandolin. I love this song.

My Valentine

This is a photo of Ben and I when we were engaged.  This is one of my favorites.  Ben is all the things I ever wished for in a husband and more.  He definitely is the one for me.  Just to prove the point... below is a children's story that Ben worked on a little while ago that makes me laugh.  He had the idea of doing a children's book.  I personally think it's hilarious and gives you a little insight into the man I'm crazy about.

A goat named Billy
who looked very silly
sat on his rock at home.
He ate green bugs
and chewed all the rugs
and lived all alone.

He rolled in the dirt
wearing only a shirt
and never cut his hair.
His friends said "hi"
but they soon said "bye"
and often ran away scared.

Late one day
a bird named Ray
said "Billy, you need to change!"
"Your friends all think
you really stink
and eating bugs is strange."

He snorted and snuffed
and pouted and puffed
mad that Ray was right.
"How dare that bird
with the honest words
hurt my feelings tonight!"

But after a week
he started to reek.
His fur was turning green.
He finally agreed
he really did need- a bath.

Rubs and scrubs with lots of suds,
soap and shine and lemon and lime,
stems and flowers, soaked for hours,
bark and seeds from different weeds,
big green pickles, things that tickled,
bamboo shoots and old leather boots,
a rabbit, a duck, a chicken that clucked,
some hay and a barn and a field full of yarn,
a house with a fountain, a lake, a mountain,
the state of Hawaii and the WHOLE SKY!
... and a big stack of pancakes with maple syrup because he was really hungry and malnourished from eating bugs all the time.
Then...
The goat named Billy
Didn't look so silly
sitting on his rock at home.
He smelled so good
his friends never would
give him five minutes alone!

Meal Plan and Babies

I think I missed a week of posting my meal plan, but suffice it to say, we ate. :)  Here's this week.

Bankok Chicken Satay
beef taquitos, salad
English sirloin pasties, peas
stew
pancakes and eggs (I have a fear of making pancakes that I am going to conquer.  I know.. I know... pancakes?  I seem to always burn them, so I'll try again this time)

This is Zeke giving a little smile.  This just melts my heart.

Here is Gwen this morning with all her stuffed animals in the chair with her.

Can Anyone Say Precious??

Gwen, Beki and the Snowman

This week Aunt Beki has come to visit from Miami.  She has stayed with us this time and has been such a help to me with the kids.  Today they went outside to build a snowman.  We had a good laugh because we practically had to hogtie Gwen down to get this snowsuit on.  I was inside nursing and bathing Zeke.  

Here is Gwen hugging the snowman.

Gwen and the snowman.  She was not too happy when she had to come in.  They had a good time.

Zeke's Stats

We went to the doc today for his 1 month check up and he gained 3 1/2 pounds this month!  He was 11 lbs 5.7 oz which is in the 78th percentile and he has also grown 3 inches and is now 22 1/2 which is in the 71st percentile.  He is such a doll baby!

Finally, a picture that made me smile.  I've been singing Little Bunny Foo Foo to Gwen.

Zeke

See this little baby? His name is Zeke. This family is on PBS and it is called Sid the Science Kid. :)