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oh yeah...

2012-02-17T18:52:00.004-05:00

i almost forgot to mention that we will be making at least one more hospital trip at some point to take care of this little condition:

yes, sam is going to be an older brother. we are excited and/or frightened (depending on the time of day and behavior of the soon-to-be older brother), and are hoping the little bean will arrive just in time to mess up our scheduled trip to oglebay (arrgh!).

by way of an announcement, we gave sam a special t-shirt for his birthday (which he has since worn to daycare and resulted in a rather humorous email from our daycare provider).

sam went to the first ultrasound with me and was convinced that he also had a baby in his belly (he also mentioned one in his head). he has since decided that this is a little brother (we don't actually know yet) and is named missy (sorry aunt missy, but probably not).

about the bandaid on sam's head

2012-02-17T18:29:00.004-05:00

those of you who don't see my posts on facebook or come in contact with us regularly may have wondered why it was that sam was sporting a spongebob bandage on valentine's day. well, in the interest of full exposure (not THAT kind of exposure!), i thought i'd post the story here.

last saturday night (the day after sam's third birthday), i was giving sam a bath and when it was time to get out, he slipped and bonked his head on the side of the tub. now, i don't know if sam's just got special skills or what, but somehow he was able to get a bad cut just below his eyebrow in probably the smoothest part of the bathroom possible. and because i've had previous experience with headwounds (i guess there's an upside to everything), i could tell just by looking at it that we'd be headed for the emergency room. so just like last time, i got him calmed down, cleaned up, dressed in pjs, and off the three of us went to see what the damage was exactly.

unfortunately, this time they were not able to glue sam's head back together, and (after what seemed like ages) they were able to put stitches into the kiddo and we came home.

needless to say, i was not pleased. particularly when you know that the previous saturday night/sunday morning we'd made a trip to the same emergency room and had sam diagnosed with croup. we are now hoping that we can make it through the weekend without any incidents that require medical attention. please wish us luck, as it appears we will most likely need it.

happy valentine's day!

2012-02-14T13:45:00.006-05:00

what are you doing to celebrate this lovey-dovey day? one of the things on my schedule was to bake up a batch of the traditional "to my valentine oatmeal cookies" today. my taste tester said they came out quite well. in fact, i think he would've "tasted" at least half a dozen if i'd given him the opportunity.

i've posted the recipe for this wonderful treat here, but i also updated the recipe card with a more appropriate photo (not stars!)—you can find it here.

making—baby shower bingo

2012-02-12T18:13:00.003-05:00

my sister-in-law got put in charge of planning the games for an upcoming baby shower she's helping to throw, and since she knows i kinda do this sort of thing for fun, she asked me to design some personalized bingo cards for the mom and dad-to-be. she told me the information on where they're registered and sent me this photo via cell phone as reference:

after three or so hours at the computer, i was able to come up with this:

i'm pretty happy with the results, and i hope that she will be too. not too bad for a sunday afternoon's worth of goofing off, huh?

Sam is three!

2012-02-11T16:58:00.013-05:00

sam started off his day with a trip to the doctor for his 36 month check-up. the doctor diagnosed him as "wonderful" (not sure that was worth the $30 co-pay, we already knew it). the stats look pretty good 37 inches tall (taller than average) 29 pounds 8 oz. (too heavy for mommy to carry very far).

after lunch, sam and i went to the grocery to pick up a couple of things. interestingly, sam also picked up an imaginary friend that he referred to as "the boy" (or sometimes "my boy"). the boy came home with us in the car (buckled in the front seat, of course), and sam held his hand and walked him to the house. he showed the boy how to use the potty, and wash hands, and then played all kinds of games with the boy for a couple of hours while i baked and frosted and chopped and made messes and cleaned up. i think i enjoyed sam's new friend just as much as he did.

we finished off the day with a little party. sam had hotdogs, chips, cake, ice cream, and a cousin to run around and be loud with, which in sammyland is pretty much what the best day ever looks like.

happy birthday, sam! you make every day an adventure, and i'm looking forward to lots more to come.

a few more photos from sam's birthday bash:

making—people drawings

2012-02-04T08:26:00.002-05:00

yesterday was the first time i've ever seen sam draw people. last week he was drawing monsters (which was definitely a change after so many months/years of his "truck period"), but yesterday he was definitely making people. he draws them like most kids (one big floating head with arms and legs), but there were hands and feet and all that scribbling in the middle was the "shirt". for some reason mommy's shirt also went all over her face, but that's okay, sam was using his artistic license.

i guess this is what i should be expecting from a boy who's about to turn three, but every time he does something new like this, it's super exciting to me. i can't believe how many skills he's racked up in a measly three years.

first official no diaper day

2012-02-04T08:12:00.003-05:00

yesterday was sam's first day in big boy underpants. we had mostly accidents and one success (that was witnessed anyway). i am hoping we will do better today (particularly because we will be going out to lunch with family).

sam was much more successful at smashing towers. he smashed every single one.

making—bookplates

2012-01-27T14:36:00.006-05:00

i originally had all kinds of good intentions to get these bookplates printed up and get one into the book we got for alice for her birthday, but i didn't manage to get them done in time. i did, however, design them. so as soon as i can locate my sticker paper, i'll print some up and send them down. i'm sure alice's mom can apply as necessary.

if you're interested in making a few of your own using this design, you can get the download here.

s'mores according to oscar

2012-01-27T12:53:00.002-05:00

according to oscar's instructions, this is how you make a s'more. and since we watched that video right before lunch, s'mores for dessert were on the menu. perhaps not surprisingly, this activity was quite a bit more messy than painting.

thanks for the awesome instructions, oscar!

making—new artwork for the gallery—paintings

2012-01-27T12:37:00.004-05:00

sam declared that it was "painting time!" this morning, so we got out the paints and he went to work. we now have two new paintings to display on sam's gallery wall.

cheerio nuggets

2012-01-25T14:15:00.003-05:00

over the holidays i made a batch of this treat for the ladies at sam's daycare. i guess they liked it because there was a request for the recipe. and lest you feel left out, i'll let you in on the secret.

Cheerio Nuggets

6 cups Cheerios 1 cup peanuts

1 cup raisins 1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup margarine ¼ cup light corn syrup

½ tsp baking soda salt (optional)

1) heat margarine, sugar, syrup, and salt in saucepan until bubbly around edges

2) cook uncovered stirring constantly for 2 minutes

3) remove from heat

4) add baking soda and stir until foamy and light

5) pour over cereal, nuts, and raisins until coated thoroughly

6) spread evenly on buttered cookie sheets

7) bake for 15 minutes at 250º

8) stir and cool

this is a great thing to take and share with a group (because it's a little bit dangerous to have it sitting around the house). i think i might whip up a batch for the superbowl!

(if you'd like a printable recipe card, you can download one here.)

making—wall art on the cheap

2012-01-24T09:53:00.001-05:00

i made this flower out of scraps that i'd brought home from a project at work. the paper was a sort of pearlescent cream color, and was so nice that when i ended up with a large supply of 1" x 8.5" strips of it, i couldn't bear to throw them in the trash. so i gathered them up and shoved them in my bag, and they've been sitting around waiting for something to happen to them. i did make a few simple christmas ornaments from a few of the strips, but i still had such a quantity left that i knew i had to make something bigger. i also found a bunch of green paper amongst my paper stash, so i added some leafy bits underneath. and this is what i ended up with. not too bad for something that originally would've ended up in the garbage. now i just have to find a home for it.

making—wool cuff

2012-01-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

inspired by something i had been admiring on etsy, this was another little project i did in an afternoon using a scrap of wool fabric (I think it was a piece i cut off a pair of wool pants when i was hemming them) and some thread that was handed down from a few relatives' stashes. it's amazing the things you can make if you've got a big stash of crafty whatnot and a bit of time.

making—holiday card 2011

2012-01-22T17:30:00.000-05:00

as is our tradition, we expanded on the 12 days of christmas theme this year with the milk maid. this was my first person (after seven years of mostly birds, this was a bit of a challenge), but i think she turned out well and fit the graphic theme that we've had going since we got married.

if you'd like to see some cards from previous years (five, six, and seven), they can be found here, here, and here.

making—noodleflakes

2012-01-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

inspired by this pin on pinterest, i got a large quantity of pasta and made some noodleflake ornaments. they were a lot of fun, though the drying time made them a somewhat frustrating a craft (particularly for young and/or inpatient crafters).

the original pin used only wheels and honeycombs, but i added in some penne and mini-penne, and i thought they turned out really well. i also skipped the glitter because i prefer small contained messes, and i thought they had a nice rustic, naturalness to them in their native noodley state. if you're the glittery type (or feel like wielding a bit of spray paint), by all means, go to it.

when we were searching for crafts to do at church, we used pinterest as our go-to resource for crafty ideas. i'll admit to pinning a lot more project ideas than i think i'll ever have time to execute. you can view my christmas pinboard here. hoorah for pinterest!

making—summer into fall pendant

2012-01-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

while i was in my jewelry-making phase this past fall, i made this fun little pendant out of two felt leaves sandwiched together and then stitched with embroidery floss. in order to give it a little weight (so it would hang nicely from the chain), there are a couple of pennies in the middle of the sandwich.

making—quilt work-in-progress

2012-01-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

earlier this month i finally finished the 70 blocks for the top of sam's "big boy quilt" and am slowly sewing them together. i'm a little worried that i'm going to have a hard time lining them all up properly, but will surely be posting on the progress as it happens.

making—yarn wrapped bracelets

2012-01-21T13:02:00.000-05:00

i made one of these for my boss for christmas, and it was so fun that i made a few for me. granted, i'm not exactly a bracelet person (they always seem to get in the way when i'm at the computer), but i really like the look of them, particularly when they're mixed with bangles of other textures (metal, wood, etc.)

since i made mine, i've seen a few tutorials and posts on pinterest for other ideas. i love the bright colors of this one.

little monkey

2012-01-21T10:05:00.003-05:00

i realize that i've been taking an unintended hiatus from posting, but that's not because there has been a lack of entertainment coming from my little monkey. on the contrary, he's been doing so many amusing things that it's hard to keep up. he's been experimenting with the "potty train", making phone calls to various imaginary friends (whom he has assured me will be coming over for dinner any day now), and telling me about his "transports". there has been an all-raound growth in the pretending department, which i think is fantastic, and i've been trying to strategically ignore sam so that he uses those great imagining skills.

a few amusing tales from sam's near-past:

sam's sneeze story (as told by Mike): robyn was at work that morning. i was at home with sam. he needed a diaper change, so i took him upstairs to change him. i set him on the changing table (on his back) and he sneezed. of course, he didn't cover his face. he said, "i got bless you all over my face." i laughed. then he mumbled something. then he said something like, "the water went up and then it came back down and that wasn't a good idea."

earlier this month we got a new dishwasher installed. sam still talks about scott, the installer. it was quite the event, and i think scott was having just as much fun listening to/watching sam as sam was watching him.

yesterday sam was goofing around in the living room (walking around with a diaper box on his head, playing with the sofa cushions, generally being silly), and i heard a noise. when i walked into the room he zoomed over to the timeout chair and sat down saying, "i'm in timeout." when i asked him why he was in timeout, he said it was because he was throwing a ball in the living room.

last night at dinner sam decided it would be a good idea to put his last green pea into his chocolate milk. my response, "you put the pea in your milk, now drink it." wouldn't that make a great headline? "parents force child to drink his own pea."

photo highlights - november 2011

2012-01-21T08:47:00.006-05:00

from our trip to mississippi—meeting newest niece alice

from our trip to mississippi—visiting with oscar

the annual trip downtown on the train to see the christmas decorations.

halloween, unwrapped

2011-10-31T21:36:00.002-04:00

well, in a stunning change of disposition, sam was quite enthused about wearing his costume today. according to our daycare provider sam was one of the first kids into his costume this morning, and when i asked him to take it off so he could eat some dinner, he told me he didn't want to take it off. go figure.

by the time i got home from work sam and daddy had handed out more than 2/3 of the candy we'd bought, and they quickly took off to do some trick-or-treating on their own. mike said that sam was quiet, but he remembered to say "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" and that he walked all the way on his own. according to sam he had a really good time. he also said, "sammys don't like twizzlers."

twas the night before halloween...

2011-10-30T20:57:00.004-04:00

our pumpkin is carved, our seeds are roasting, and sam's costume is complete (finished five whole days before halloween this year, thankyouverymuch). i even spent a little time making myself a fall mask out of leftover felt, though when sam asked what my costume was going to be i said i was going to wear his cape from last year and be super mommy. he had the good sense not to argue.

tomorrow he'll wake bright and early (or dark and early, as the case may be), and head off to daycare where he'll be participating in their halloween parade (a walk around the block in costume), and will be capping off his festivities by handing out candy and a little trick-or-treating with daddy.

i'll have photos of him in costume (assuming he actually wears the costume) tomorrow, so stay tuned for photos. so far sam has been less than keen on his special halloween outfit. the lesson he should take away from this is that when mom asks you what you want to be for halloween, come up with something other than "sam", or she will, and you may not like the result.

sam the celebrity

2011-10-26T10:49:00.004-04:00

do you recognize this photo?

janice (my boss) was encouraging me to do a cover comp for an upcoming book using this photo of sam. i was pretty sure that the group wouldn't go for it (there's usually a lot of discussion about having just one kid or ethnicity on anything we do and blah blah blah). but about 15 minutes before the meeting, i gave in and worked up a cover with sam on it. as soon as the group saw it (and they're not the easiest group to please, let me tell you), the unanimous statement was, "that's it. that's the cover."

so sam is not only co-starring in illustrations, he's now a full-fledged model.

good to know that i'm not just filling up memory cards for nothin'.

reference material

2011-09-28T10:01:00.006-04:00

an illustration i did for a book being published this fall on the subject of teaching children to appreciate and care for our world and all the creatures in it.

photos of sam during a visit to squire's castle and the metroparks (a.k.a. reference material)

cover illustration for the book. can you find the sam in this picture?

trucks!—an artist's rendering

2011-09-24T15:39:00.005-04:00

earlier this month, sam started drawing things that actually look like stuff. well, when it comes to trucks anyway. i can't recall any evidence that he can draw things other than trucks (unless you count cars), but i'm still pretty impressed.

in other news, i finally took the time to hang up sam's rotating art gallery. it will feature new drawings by the artist on a semi-quarterly basis, or whenever i get around to changing the pictures. he's quite prolific, though his medium of choice seems to be the magna-doodle (which has saved lots of paper and wall space).

stats @ 2.5

2011-09-24T15:18:00.003-04:00

(sam showing off his post-freezepop tongue)

for posterity, i thought i'd post sam's two-and-a-half-year-old stats (from a month ago):

height — 35.75 inches (40th percentile)

weight — 27.44 pounds (23rd percentile)

the numbers make him sound kind of small, but he certainly doesn't seem small to me (particularly when i need to carry him for any length of time). it may, however, be his larger than average personality that makes him seem SO BIG!

p.s. the doctor didn't actually measure his personality, but by my estimates, he's way past the 100th percentile for that one.

oglebay 2011

2011-09-24T15:00:00.004-04:00

seven weeks ago today we left for our annual trip to oglebay with mike's family. it was a great, busy week full of walking, mini-golfing, golfing (for the big kids), paddleboats, swimming, and all kinds of fun. sam was particularly interested in the miniature train display at the good zoo (which he still mentions regularly), and the model rocket launching (also mentioned regularly).

a few of my favorite quotes from sam from that week:

me (looking at sam's drawing): what are you drawing?

sam: mommy tell you.*

me: it looks like a dog.

sam: oh yeah!

sam's rocket countdown (overheard from across the room): one…two…three…four…five…three…two…one…blastoff!

* footnote: "mommy tell you" was sam's way of saying "i don't know", and came from my asking if he'd "like mommy to tell you?"

he has since dropped this phrase and now simply says "i don't know."

tunes for tuesday

2011-09-20T08:44:00.003-04:00

found this one via the all songs considered podcast (or more specifically, the tiny desk concert videos on their site.) love it!

tunes for tuesday—whoops!

2011-09-07T11:30:00.002-04:00

i almost forgot to post yesterday's choice bit of music. this was my pick, but sam whole-heartedly approved. i don't think he's quite old enough for doctor who yet, but i'm so bringing him along on that nerdfest when he is.

celebrating the end of "neglect your blog" month

2011-08-30T13:55:00.003-04:00

did you know that august is the official "neglect your blog" month? well it certainly was around here. i even made a list of things to blog about, but didn't want to ruin the celebration with needless posting.

alas, now that we're nearing the end of the month, i thought i'd at least let you know that we're still alive and whatnot, and will be posting many entertaining tidbits about things that happened in august (unless we keep up the celebration into october—which is somewhat likely).

also, i've decided to declutter (to a certain degree, anyway), and am getting rid of a few paintings/doodles that we no longer have homes for (above). they're gouache on paper, and if you (or anyone you know) are interested in owning any or all of these, leave a comment or drop me an email and i'll send them out directly.

talk to you in september!

tunes for tuesday

2011-08-30T13:52:00.001-04:00

what we're listening to today (while playing run, run, catch):

Phoenix - Lisztomania from 35east on Vimeo.

Tunes for Tuesday

2011-08-23T10:00:00.002-04:00

i know i missed a couple of tuesdays recently, so i'm doing a cluster today from TSO photography. they're actually videos, but i kinda love the music that goes with them too.

enjoy!

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

The Arctic Light from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

The Aurora from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

tunes for tuesday

2011-08-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

this week we have another pick from sam (if you couldn't tell, sam totally recommends the they might be giants podcasts for kids.):

tunes for tuesday

2011-07-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

today's pick:

staycation postcards - free download!

2011-07-24T16:10:00.008-04:00

i've been wanting to do a few projects like this for a while, sort of a giveaway without all the mucking about with comments and winners. so...this is my first (what i would consider) really good free download—the staycation postcards. i thought this might be good for anyone who isn't going anywhere in particular this summer, but would like to send a nice note to family about what they HAVE been up to (just because you're not going to some fabulous destination doesn't mean you haven't done wonderful, fun things afterall).

so all you have to do to win (ha!), is download the pdf here, print it out (i recommend printing on cardstock)...

then score...

fold...

cut...

and glue together. voila!

two notes: my printer has water soluble ink, so if the postcards get wet, they'll run. if you're really concerned, you can always use them with envelopes. AND i designed these to be a bit oversize (5" x 7"), so they're going to require a little extra postage. you can always scale them down when you print to get them within the USPS regulations for standard postcard rates, but that's up to you.

recently—a lengthy recap of semi-interesting tidbits having to do with sam

2011-07-22T13:27:00.007-04:00

last thursday sam capped off a day of playing "let's test mommy's patience" by being sent to bed early. an hour later i found him coated head-to-toe in buttpaste in his big, red chair (which was also coated in buttpaste—along with large splootches on the floor, wall, and smeared on the window).

____________________________

sam has recently become quite the conversationalist, often referring to his favorite topics:

"how is your day good?", "daddy? you big daddy?", and "mommy? you big mommy?" (the last two topics to be used when mike and i are having a conversation with each other, and not with him). however, every once in a while, he'll come up with something new and unexpected. for example, a conversation we had earlier today:

sam: i am here now

me: yes. i'm glad you're here now. i'd be sad if you weren't here.

sam: you lost at store.

me: i'd be lost at the store if you weren't here?

sam: *nods knowingly*

interesting. and another:

sam: i'm going zoo. my hair is too long. and blond also.

me: ?

____________________________

we have invested in a small, inflatable pool for the backyard. originally we thought we'd get a summer family pass for the public pool, but i really couldn't see myself getting all geared up to hang out knowing that we'd probably be there 10 minutes before sam would be too bored, or too cold, or start having meltdowns because some kid has a better toy than he does or someone splashed him or the fountains were too scary, etc. so we have been playing in the pool in the hot mornings before lunch. afterward we've been having freeze-pops on the front porch. sam thinks this is the bees knees.

____________________________

today we found a (deceased) cicada on the driveway. sam must have found it relatively interesting, because he kept asking to go back out and stare at it.

____________________________

we also made chocolate chip cookies. sam is a great helper when it comes to dumping things in the mixer, though he has a hard time waiting for the "taste testing" portion of helping.

____________________________

sam has also been doing a lot more scenarios when playing with me and his cars and trucks. recently it he wants to play "let's go to the zoo" or "it's time to get new trailers!" the games are still not exactly thrilling, but they are getting more involved (i.e. have to come up with dialogue. i never thought i'd need practice conversing with cars.)

____________________________

last wednesday sam got into trouble at daycare for following around his friend tabitha and taking anything away from her that she wanted to play with (this apparently encompassed any leaf she managed to find on the ground). our daycare provider said that he'd probably be better if he had a sibling. thanks for the advice. apparently she's never heard him fighting with HIMSELF in the backseat of the car over which hand gets to hold the toy first. the boy doesn't need a sibling. he needs a therapist.

tunes for tuesday

2011-07-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

this week it's sam's turn:

tunes for tuesday

2011-07-12T12:47:00.003-04:00

sam and i are big music fans. i am constantly looking for something new to listen to, and sam is usually looking for something to sing (i was pretty distraught a couple of weeks ago when my mp3 player threatened to kick the bucket, let me tell you). so, i thought it would be fun to start a "tunes for tuesday" post. sometimes they'll be my picks, sometimes sam's, but i think it will be fun to go hunting for new music to share and i hope you agree.

my pick for this first tunes for tuesday:

whoa buddy…let's back that blog up a minute

2011-07-09T14:34:00.005-04:00

here are a few of my favorite photos from the fourth of july weekend.

we really had a fabulous/busy one (as usual).

summer accessories

2011-07-09T13:20:00.006-04:00

i'll admit it. i bought one of those straw hats/fedoras i've been seeing on other bloggers' "must have summer fashion" posts (well, a cheaper version, anyway). i still haven't had the courage to wear it outside the house, but i have been admiring it sitting in a corner of my bedroom (and occasionally on my head in front of the mirror). i've been mostly relying on my extensive (some might say "excessive") collection of scarves and homemade bead necklaces for a bit of summer accessorization (if it wasn't a word, it is now).

do you read those "must have" posts? if so, what have you been coveting? if not, what is your "go to" accessory that gets pulled out every summer?

and our winner is…

2011-07-01T13:24:00.005-04:00

random.org has chosen missy! congrats!

i was so glad to have a few new visitors, and hopefully i'll be doing another handmade giveaway soon!

have a sweet holiday weekend

2011-07-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

i baked a batch of good ol' "to my valentine" oatmeal cookies for mike's fourth of july work cookout today. this is probably my most favorite iced cookie recipe because they not only look really fun and festive, but they have a bit more flavor than a sugar cookie (sam performed the quality control for me, of course.)

i'm sure i've blogged about these cookies before, but i'm not sure if i included the recipe or not. so here it is, just in case:

To My Valentine Oatmeal Cookies

2½ cups flour 2 Tbs milk

1 tsp baking powder 1 egg

½ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup sugar 1 cup oats

¾ cup butter or margarine

1) sift dry ingredients into bowl

2) add butter, sugar, milk, egg, and vanilla; beat until combined, about 2 minutes

3) add oats and mix well

4) roll to ¼ inch thick and cut into hearts (or stars)

5) bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350° (moderate) 12–15 minutes or until lightly browned

6) frost with a glaze made from powdered sugar, vanilla, food coloring, and enough milk to make a spreading consistency

(you can download a recipe card here.)

we're off to visit family and eat yummy stuff, celebrate a birthday or two, and see some fireworks. huzzah! what are your plans?

shaun the sheep

2011-06-30T12:27:00.003-04:00

this morning, sam was very keen to watch the dvd of shaun the sheep that we (or more precisely, i) got from the library. so, later on when he wanted to investigate the cottonballs from the bathroom, i thought it would be more fun to make our own shaun.

i got out some construction paper and glue, and sam collected some of the cottonballs. a little less than 10 minutes later, sam was pleased to have his very own sheep. i think he was quite proud of his cottonball-gluing abilities, and i was quite proud of the fact that when i asked him to clean up the cottonballs, he not only put all the unusued ones back in the container, he even carried the container up to the bathroom and put it away.

i thought this might be a fun activity for other kids, so i made a pdf available for download here. enjoy!

(sam and shaun)

and for anyone who doesn't know about shaun the sheep, here's a little introductory video:

summer roasted veg

2011-06-25T09:13:00.004-04:00

so by now you probably know that i'm all about the roasted veg, right? this is my new variation on the theme—the summer roasted veg. and it's quite delicious, if i say so myself (which of course, i do).

the most important part of this recipe is the dressing. namely, the maple grove farms fat free balsamic vinaigrette. (if it's possible to love a brand of dressing, then i surely love maple grove farms' fat free dressings. they are pretty much the only dressings that i will eat. i'd rather have my salad with no dressing than not have one of these. in fact, before i discovered these, that's exactly what i had, naked salads.)

so, you cut up your vegetables (i like zucchini, summer squash, peppers, onion, tomatoes, and sometimes mushrooms) and put them in a bowl. drizzle with your dressing, kosher salt, some garlic powder, and some dried basil, then stir until everything is coated. (note: i go a little easier on the dressing than others probably would, so just use your best judgement and you'll be fine.) spread everything in a roasting pan lined with foil (hooray for foil!), and pop it into a 375 degree oven for 50–60 minutes.

i served mine over a bed of baby spinach (surprise!) and sprinkled with a handful of red kidney beans (rinsed and drained), and it was about as awesome as i could've imagined. of course, i actually think vegetables are dang tasty, so you gotta keep that in mind.

try it, you might just find that you'll like the taste of veggies too!

first ever giveaway

2011-06-24T10:09:00.005-04:00

missy just finished up her first giveaway, and since i've been thinking about doing something like this for a long time (a very long time), here it is. finally.

plus, i've been making more of these pins than i'd ever manage to wear because, honestly, they're just FUN.

this pin is about an inch and a half in diameter. not too big, not too small, and is a light blue-lavender with soft sage leaves. it would look great pinned on a sun bonnet or cute cardigan.

so, to enter, just leave a comment below and tell me what your last favorite crafty project was (if you have one. and making delicious food counts. according to me, at least.) i'll be picking a random winner next friday (july 1st).

home-y, minty mint tea

2011-06-24T09:41:00.007-04:00

when i was growing up, there was always a huge patch of mint threatening to take over half of mom's garden. i remember her fussing about it every once in a while (and she has since removed all or most of it), but i always thought that there could be things much worse taking over the backyard.

so, knowing full well what was in store for me, i planted my own mint in our backyard. and it is now threatening to take over. i, however, find this kind of home-y and familiar (funny how that stuff works). i mean, it's not like it's a batch of thistles, right?

i was working in the yard yesterday, trimming the shrubs and pulling weeds, when i thought "i really should make some mint tea. i haven't had mint tea in AGES." so i did. and it was delightful. and easy.

first, i picked some mint from my overflowing supply (see above).

then i washed it and trimmed off the leaves using my kitchen scissors.

i put my clean mint leaves in an old canning jar, filled the jar with water, and zapped it in the microwave for about two minutes. then i sealed it up so it could steep.

in the meantime, sam asked me to "picture him." here he is saying "cheese and fuzzy pickles!" i love him so.

and here is my lovely tea. i usually just use a strainer and dump it into my ugly 32oz plastic cup that i got at the hospital when sam was born, but for the sake of aesthetics, here it is in a pretty glass.

i'm kind of in love with the mint tea. it's more interesting than water, and there's no caffeine or anything so i can drink LOADS without guilt. plus, it makes my mouth minty fresh with every sip!

better homes — whole wheat bread

2011-06-21T14:20:00.002-04:00

i made this bread today because we were out of bread (again). it turned out pretty well (not as good as last time). i think i may have jumped the gun and didn't let it rise quite enough (i didn't fully read the instructions this time). sam, however, seems to be happy enough to eat a few slices of this slightly less-than-perfect loaf.

whole wheat bread (from the better homes cook book, handed down from auntie)—makes two loaves

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons shortning (i used a combination of smart balance and olive oil)
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 to 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

soften active dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. combine hot water, sugar, salt, and shortening; cool to lukewarm
stir in whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the white flour; beat well
stir in softened yeast and add enough of the rest of the white flour to make a moderately stiff dough. knead until soft and satiny (about 10–12 minutes)
shape into a ball and put in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface
cover and let rise in warm place till double (about 90 minutes)
punch down, cut in two portions and shape each into a smooth ball. cover and let rest 10 minutes
shape in loaves and place in greased loaf pans. let rise about 75 minutes, until double
bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) about 45 minutes. cover loosely with foil for last 20 minutes if loaves brown too quickly.
brush with butter after removing from pans
enjoy!

camping! — hocking hills

2011-06-21T13:49:00.005-04:00

last weekend we went camping with my older brother and his family. they're experienced campers and were so organized (and also had great equipment), so it was really great for us (the semi-newbies) to tag along. angie organized the food and chris organized the hiking, and all we had to do was join in the fun. it was AWESEOME. plus, sam was overjoyed to get the chance to hang out with his cousin abby—as much as he enjoyed sleeping in the tent, eating marshmallows, throwing rocks in the water, and sitting in chris and angie's van, i think his favorite part was by FAR hanging out with cousins. (and by the way, i think he's adopted dylan, gavin's friend, as one of the cousins.)

we did get a bit of rain (basically anything that was in the tent was somewhere between damp and soaked), but i was feeling so relaxed and good when we got home that the fact that i had about four loads of laundry to do didn't bother me a smidge.

i definitely think that camping in a gang is absolutely the way to go, and now i can't wait to go camping again!

you're my peanut

2011-06-21T13:38:00.003-04:00

one day a few weeks ago, and out of the blue, sam told me, "you're my ice cream cone!" so we went back and forth thinking of things like, "you're my pickle!" or "you're my cupcake!" apparently the game was over when sam said, "you're my peanut!" (i usually call him "peanut" when i'm talking to him). since then he tends to go straight to "you're my peanut!" but every once in a while i can get him to think of other things. it's a fun game.

mamma needs a new haircut

2011-06-09T13:01:00.004-04:00

so now that sam has been appropriately coiffed, i'm turning my mind to my own hair issues.

i've been pondering a cut for a while now, and after much consideration (and a little reading), i think i've come to accept that i want to hold on to my long hair for now. i mean, it's just so practical. i can throw it up in a ponytail in all of five seconds flat, and it doesn't require frequent trims to keep it in shape (which, let's face it, for someone who goes to get their hair cut every 24 months or so, trims every six to eight weeks ain't gonna happen). plus, i think my hair is one of my better attributes, so i might as well have plenty of it, eh?

so what i'm after is basically shaping up what i've got, long with bangs. maybe a little layering. but not lots. because that's where things went a little south last time.

(images via pinterest)

cowboy cookies

2011-05-28T13:19:00.004-04:00

on thursday sam helped me make up a batch of cowboy cookies in a jar (courtesy of cousin kaitlin). my guess is that they're pretty much a standard oatmeal cookie recipe with chocolate chips. in any case, it was fun because all i needed was the contents of the jar + one egg + one stick of butter, and it didn't take ages to make them because it wasn't a huge batch. sam did a great job of helping, and he performed the service of taste-testing/quality control admirably (grampa h. would be proud).

the key to happy parenting

2011-05-28T12:22:00.005-04:00

i have decided that the key to being a happy parent is to have an extremely amusing child. and i'm extremely happy, because mine is currently scoring a 10 in amusingness. a few examples:

- each time i stopped the cart at the grocery today, he announced "we're here!" and climbed out of the car. after we had chosen our food (apples, bananas, mustard) he climbed back in and steered wildly to the next item on the list.

- his ability to count to four, which sometimes goes like this: "one, two, free, GO!"

- his wonderful rendition of yewwow sumbarine, "we will live…sumbarine! we will live…sumbarine!" (this is also his movie pick of the week.)

- his request to be strapped into his (temporarily relocated) carseat in the living room while watching the movie of the week. (which was also awesome because i knew he wasn't getting into any mischief while i was fixing lunch. i am researching the installation of seatbelts for the couch, which would also be stellar for timeouts.)

the haircut

2011-05-17T13:15:00.004-04:00

obligatory pre-haircut photo:

sam woke up after his nap yesterday looking very sweaty, so i finally decided it was time to say goodbye to his glorious head of blond curls. as much as i was enjoying them (and i was, let me tell you), he clearly needed a summer trim. plus, i was getting abit tired of everyone asking when i was going to give this boy a haircut.

so, armed with at least half a dozen hershey kisses, i put the step stool out on the driveway and attempted to snip away at a very wiggly sam. overall i don't think it looks too bad, considering all the screaming and head-grabbing the boy was doing. yes, i did give him a little jab with the scissors once or twice, but it could hardly have been avoided on my part (unless i'd given up about halfway through). i needed daddy's help for the final few snips. even so, i think there are a few long pieces. i try not to look too hard for the mistakes.

and now he looks like a big boy. when he walked in the room this morning i did a bit of a double-take and my heart gave a little twang.

things that sam is doing lately that remind me that he is growing up—he is:

choosing his own clothes. he's done this for a while (mostly the "no, not that" variety of choosing), but now he puts on his own crocs (which i bought for him for the very reason that he can don them himself. otherwise he'd be pulling on rubber boots in 90 degree weather because he likes to do things "self"). he also picks out his own hat (which sometimes means a summer outfit and a warm winter hat). it is entertaining.
climbing in and out of the car on his own. and heaven forbid you might try to help him without a specific request first.
using words with syllables. well, sometimes. we're still working on "ba-na-na" vs. "banna", but he's doing a lot more real words and phrases. we've come a long way from the "no monkey bed!" phase.
telling us what he wants. unless he's upset. if he's frustrated, he will scream bloody murder. our daycare let us know that he needs improvement in asking for help. thanks, but we already know. our attempts at anger management have thusfar been less than successful, and we surely appreciate the reminder that sam is indeed not perfect. but figuring out what's for breakfast has become LOADS easier.
able to touch BOTH the pedals on his tricycle. he still doesn't get the whole pedaling thing, but at least he's got spots to put his feet so that they're not dragging on the ground for blocks.
hmmm....there's probably more and i'll think of them later. perhaps we'll just call them fodder for another post.

obligatory post-haircut photo:

and a song for this rainy monday

2011-05-16T13:47:00.001-04:00

found via all songs considered.

feeling a little french

2011-05-05T11:09:00.002-04:00

am loving this song this today (though i find that lurker in the background a bit creepy).

and this one as well:

the last of the fabric flowers…for now

2011-05-05T11:02:00.004-04:00

this recycled (or up-cycled) t-shirt chrysanthemum was really fun and really simple, and i'm dying to try it with my crafty nieces sometime soon. i've made several, but the pink is my favorite so far. you can find the tutorial here.

a post for auntie margy

2011-05-05T10:02:00.006-04:00

a day or so after sam's second birthday party, we lost my aunt (my dad's sister). today i am drinking my coffee from one of her pretty cups and thinking about my memories of auntie margy:

- auntie liked to chat, and boy could she. if auntie called on the phone, you had to clear the next 30-90 minutes. she didn't call me all that often, but when she did it was a marathon of a talk (especially for me, as i tend to do anything in my power to avoid the phone).

- auntie enjoyed family traditions. she always brought breakfast on christmas (oh the strudel!), and potato salad for easter. i'll always remember having to find room in our little fridge for a very large container of potato salad.

- i remember auntie and her camera taking pictures. when i was little, her big camera with all its attachments and large flash seemed huge, and it made a huge impression on me (i've noticed that i'm now the aunt with the big camera chasing people around).

- auntie enjoyed having things be "just so" (i remember this about my grandma henderson as well—she always seemed a little frustrated when things weren't picture perfect, and i think auntie had a lot of that in her too). when i was younger i remember visiting and admiring her "purple bathroom" where everything was color coordinated (my favorite color at the time was purple). she also had a yellow bathroom and a "citrus" kitchen with shades of yellow, orange, and green—with coordinating appliances, no less.

- auntie enjoyed her nieces and nephews, and especially their children (her grand-nieces and grand-nephews). we had many a chat about how fascinating it was to watch us all growing, and i will never forget the famous "peek" episode that sam had with auntie last fall while visiting dad in the hospital. it was something that auntie particularly remembered about sam (and he remembered about her). in fact, during our last visit she recapped many of the stories she had collected about her surrogate grandchildren, and we talked about what kind of personality the newest addition (little alice, just brand new ten days before) would turn out to have.

i am remembering all these things and making a note to clear a space in my next life, because i'm sure that when i see auntie we will have a nice, long chat, and there will be a lot of catching up to do.

if you walk into our house, you very well may find us singing this song

2011-05-03T21:06:00.002-04:00

we've watched a couple others, but this is by far the most popular.

dying for easter eggs

2011-04-22T13:46:00.003-04:00

we attacked our eggs last night. sam was quite enthusiastic (at the beginning anyway), resulting in at least one puddle of dye ending up on the floor. he had some good assistance from daddy, and we employed the "oscar method" (using regular crayons as well as the clear ones), which helped keep sam (and daddy) busy. he liked writing his name by himself—saying as he went, "A, M, Y. sammy." he's never really participated at this level before, and it's fun to see his reaction to all this easter business.

the results were fun and colorful, and sam has been asking for eggs every time we open the fridge. i hope he's still this excited come sunday.

funny note: while i was boiling the eggs before dying, sam kept looking at them and saying, "pop!" apparently this has something to do with the tiny caterpillar popping out of it's egg one sunday morning."

more fabric flowers

2011-04-18T22:50:00.004-04:00

here are a couple more fabric flowers i made following this tutorial. the mustard yellow is wool felt, but the other is a combination of scrap fabrics i had lying around in my scrap box. i'm sort of wishing i'd have made more flower layers, but overall, i think they look nice and i've been wearing them with spring thoughts in mind.

next on the list is giving this felt flower tutorial a try (isn't it fab?) and i have another one in progress for posting later this week.

which came first—in this case, it was the egg

2011-04-18T13:46:00.004-04:00

sam was feeling a little under the weather this weekend, so to cheer him up, we brought out our easter eggs and were finding little things to put in them (acorns, spools of thread, pennies, etc.). i thought maybe the egg needed a chick, so i whipped one up right quick on saturday afternoon.

sam seems convinced that the the chick ought to eat the egg, despite the fact that he's supposed to LIVE in it.

egg decorating

2011-04-18T13:38:00.003-04:00

i'm saving my egg-dying activity for later this week, but sam and i have already decorated a few paper eggs.

i went and pulled some scrap watercolor paper from my studio and some paints, and sam and i enjoyed puddling some paint here and there. we let the paper dry, and while sam was napping, i cut out egg shapes and hung them up.

sam did really well, but i think he preferred the cleaning up part (where he got to play with soapy water in the sink) to the actual painting.

we may have found spring

2011-04-18T13:33:00.004-04:00

we're starting to see new leaves on the trees and daffodils blooming in the yard. we even dodged a few raindrops and were out for a few walks last week.

sam—a two-year-old character

2011-04-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

(doodles of sam being sam)

i was recently talking to someone about sam's current mode-of-operation, and i can only think that he is doing a lot of dealing with his personal growth and finding out where he fits into this great, wide world that he wakes into every day. there are moments of sheer independence ("sammy do it 'self.") and then there are moments when you couldn't fit a sheet of airmail stationary (do people still know what airmail stationary is?) between him and i.

there is also a lot of this-not-that—by which i mean that he will ask for something only to say "no [insert food, object, action]" the moment he gets it. for example, at bedtime it's "no mack (his favorite bedtime truck)", so i take mack out of the bed, leave the room, and be called almost immediately to put mack back into his bed. and in general, i will let him fuss for about five minutes before going in to resolve the situation—which seems to give him the appropriate amount of time to decide exactly what it is he wants (or how he wants to assert his control) before he can finally settle down to sleep. it's a pattern that has formed, a little dance we do—"yes elmo!" "no elmo!", "yes blankets!" "no blankets!"

and so around our house there's a lot of push-and-pull, small battles going on (everywhere, all day, and luckily i have started to figure out where the landmines have been placed, where i can tread with confidence, and where i need to tip-toe carefully. there are times when, watching sam make his way down the stairs frontward (no longer backward on his hands and knees), i get the urge to scoop him up and carry him because every step seems a little wobbly, a little tentative (and god-forbid he should take ANOTHER tumble down the stairs and get ANOTHER bonk on his beezer…) it's hard to be the adult, to watch without being the "hovering safety-net", to let my little trooper grow up. but i know it's also hard for sam, because there's a lot that he wants to do that he can't. when he says "no" it's because he's also hearing a lot of "no". that he can't choose to not go to daycare on wednesdays, or not return books to the library when they can no longer be renewed online. so he's staking out his territory one small battle at a time, testing boundaries, scaling a little barbed wire (that parents have been so carefully placing in his path), and finding "sammy robert norstrom" in any place he can.

more power to you, little peanut (unless it means spitting out your cereal all over your clothes—and the table, and the floor—moments before we need to leave the house, that is).

a few photos from the weekend

2011-04-03T21:49:00.004-04:00

sam visiting with cousins (and cousins' toys) | scarlet

winter—we are so over it

2011-03-28T08:43:00.003-04:00

sam and i have been looking for spring with mixed success. have have seen the crocuses coming up (and a few other green friends), but for the most part, it's been downright frigid.

last week we sucked it up long enough to make a quick trip to the playground. the sun was shining brightly, but we had a hard time being convinced that it was gorgeous play weather while there was still snow on the ground. the trip did not last long and culminated in a tearful sam finally calling it quits and admitting that it was just too cold for this kind of outing.

we're awfully glad for our nice, warm house and are remembering to say a little prayer for those who aren't so lucky.

homebound, but not earthbound

2011-03-11T11:56:00.006-05:00

we've had about five inches of snow in the last 16 hours or so, which means we're staying inside again today. it also means we're left looking for fun activities to do around the house (that don't include watching wall-e or cars for the billionth time). this morning we made a rocketship (with an astronaut and an alien and some stars to hang in the sky).

kitchen helper

2011-03-10T10:33:00.003-05:00

when sam asked for cereal this morning (well after he'd eaten his breakfast), i thought it would be fun to make up some rice krispie treats (i haven't made real rice krispie treats in ages, so i had to look up the recipe online—it can be found here), so he stood at the counter and helped me count how many cups of cereal, and how many cups of mini-marshmellows.

of course, after "tasting" about half a cup of marshmellows, he wasn't actually interested in eating any treats, but it was kinda fun anyway.

he's now standing behind me washing dishes and singing "let's. go. fly. kite. up to heightest tight…"

spring flowers

2011-03-05T23:22:00.004-05:00

i also tried this tutorial for making cute fabric flowers (and bookmarked a couple more here and here for later).

i was thinking i might use these for a necklace too, but they'd be cute on hairclips or headbands (if you're into those kinds of things).

beading frenzy

2011-03-05T22:46:00.005-05:00

after looking through the statement necklaces in the new anthropologie catalog, i decided that some of the old necklaces i've made could use a funky, new update. so i armed myself with some new beads and such, and started cannibalizing and restringing. a few hours later (and for a fraction of the price) i've got some fun new neckware.

here are a few photos of what i've made so far:

and i've still got quite a few beads and findings left to play with.

at the very least, i'll be enjoying some homemade style this spring (when it finally decides to arrive, that is).

cookies that are good for your soul

2011-02-26T22:38:00.004-05:00

when searching through my recipes to find something to take for the "soul food sampler" at church, i came across this cookie recipe that i haven't had in years, and the thought of yummy peanut butter fingers sent warm fuzzies all the way down to my toes. they're hardly good-for-you treats, but they're definitely good for your soul.

peanut butter fingers

(from janice gamiere)

1/2 C. margarine

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 C. peanut butter

1/2 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 C. flour

1 C. quick oats

6 oz. chocolate chips

peanut butter drizzle:

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/2 C. powdered sugar

4 T. milk

1) cream margarine and sugars

2) blend in egg, peanut butter, soda, salt and vanilla

3) stir in flour and oats

4) spread into greased 13 x 9 pan; bake 20 - 25 minutes (350∞)

5) immediately on removing from oven, sprinkle 6 oz. chocolate chips, let stand 5 min. and spread evenly.

6) drizzle with peanut butter mixture

if you're going to pack this one to take somewhere, make it a day ahead as it takes some time for the top to get "unsticky"

i wish i had a really nicely styled photo of the finished product, but trust me, this recipe is worth a try.

have you seen this?

2011-02-24T13:10:00.002-05:00

sometimes i wish i had a brain that could come up with stuff like this. but think i'd get even less sleep than i do now.

full story here.

sam's cafe

2011-02-24T12:40:00.004-05:00

perhaps it's the ina garten we've been watching before naptime, but sam's becoming quite the little chef lately. this morning we set up a little kitchen for him using his wood storage crates (complete with refrigerator and basket sink—for washing dishes, of course), and he's been fixing up fancy things for me and buckeye bear and caterpillar to eat.

the menu (as of this morning) includes:

chocolate milk with ketchup and salt (and sometimes birdseed)

soup (with chocolate)

blue and green sandwiches

pepsi

ice cream

cake

i'd highly recommend sam's cafe to anyone in the area who enjoys a good pretend feast. amazingly, there always seems to be an open table, so feel free to stop in and have a bite.

the art gallery

2011-02-22T11:40:00.004-05:00

sam's started to make some really cute drawings (mostly garbage trucks and rocks), and i wanted a nice place to put them on display. so i went off to the dollar store (i love the dollar store!) and got a few of these white metal frames. they're super easy to open, so i can add drawings when sam makes something new.

i'm not precisely sure where i'll put them, but at least they won't be on the refrigerator (where they'd most likely be either knocked down or pulled off by the artist himself), which means i can (sort of) keep them for posterity without having them feel like clutter.

the artist at work

so much for the thaw…

2011-02-21T21:22:00.002-05:00

at least it makes for some interesting photo ops in the backyard.

snapshots of sam 2/14-2/18

2011-02-20T23:07:00.008-05:00

i forgot to mention

2011-02-20T22:57:00.004-05:00

we successfully celebrated sam's second birthday last weekend. it was still pretty low-key (chili in crockpots, cherry-topped cheesecakes, and just a few festive decorations), and even so, i was still pretty stressed about pulling it all together (or as pulled together as i could manage). but sam had a good time, which in the end is all i'm really after.

since then, sam has been devoting a lot of time to making his new cars and trucks and books feel at home.

thanks to everyone who was able to come and be with us to celebrate the second anniversary of our little peanut. it makes a happy occasion just that much better.

what to wear: my little valentine

2011-02-14T11:17:00.003-05:00

in his pre-valentine's day church outfit.

shirt: old navy (christmas gift two christmases ago)

pants: old navy (birthday gift from aunt angie, uncle chris, and cousins abby and gavin)

red suspenders: ulite inc. (via amazon.com)

socks: hand-me-down

ball: birthday gift (from aunt tiffany, uncle eric, and cousins carter and annie)

happy valentine's day

2011-02-14T08:52:00.004-05:00

sam's special breakfast.

(i think i need to work on my squeeze-bottle pancake technique .)

sam at two

2011-02-10T01:00:00.000-05:00

snapshots that i want to remember of sam at age two:

how he sings, and sings, and sings. how he wakes up and i can hear him in his bed singing "la la, elmo's world", or when he breaks into the "truck song" or "row, row, row your boat" or "itsy bitsy spider" at the drop of a hat.

how he loves to "wash hands" because it means a chance to stand at the sink and play in the water (and lick the soapy bubbles off his hands).

how when he gets called for dinner, he gives a big "OKAY!" yell before he heads up the stairs, and a big "YES!" if asked if he wants to help with the wash—the excitement is palpable.

how he asks if i'm "okay?" if he hears me drop something or make a loud noise, or says "bless you" when i blow my nose.

how he draws on his magna-doodle—slow and careful and deliberate, and then how it inevitably breaks into an all-out scribble. how he carefully puts the "orange pencil" back into it's spot, and how he says "bye drawing!" before erasing his picture.

i want to remember games of "want some?" when he fixes us drinks and cupcakes and birthday cakes and ice cream—all of which are the most delicious imaginary concoctions that you can imagine

i want to remember sitting down so sam can "fix it"—which means he will sit behind me and "fix" my hair for me

and speaking of fixing it, i love how he will change elmo's diaper and make sure that elmo gets his own snack

i want to remember how he dances to commercials, to songs on sesame street, and to music playing over the loud speakers at the store—this boy is not shy about showing off his moves, and i. love. it.

how, just recently, he's started to ask if he can color, and "mommy color too!"—why, certainly!

how he greets his garbage truck with a huge smile and a "garbage truuuuuuck!" like it's an old friend—which i guess it is—and how he still needs to have his little garbage truck in order to properly appreciate the big garbage trucks on trash day

how he will say "goodbye" or "sleep tight" as he leaves the room, closing the door behind him

how nothing is quite as awesome as a chocolate kiss after dinner, or m's with his peanuts at snacktime, or daddy coming home from work—complete with waves and a round of applause

and most of all, how every day is better with sam because he's amazing and fantastic, even on the days when he is more challenge than child

i love this boy to the stars and beyond.

what i'm craving—soup, of course

2011-02-08T21:34:00.006-05:00

i've been making a ton of this souper-easy split red lentil soup lately, and totally loving it, so i thought i'd share.

split red lentil soup

one medium onion, chopped
three stalks (or thereabouts) celery, chopped
two large carrots, peeled and chopped
*optional* one tomato diced
two cups vegetable broth (or two cups water + 2 tsp better than bouillon <—i love this stuff)
half a can of tomato paste (you can freeze the rest in ice-cube trays for use later)
one cup water
1/2 cup split red lentils (masoor dal)
1 tsp minced garlic (you can do garlic powder if that's all you've got)
1 tablespoon cumin (i might use more than this, but i'm a little bit cumin obsessed)
1/2 tsp oregano (i might use more than this too, it's sort of hard to tell)
salt and pepper to taste

the split red lentils are great because not only are they high in protein (and low in fat and calories), but because they're split, they cook quickly, so you're a go for the eating part (which is by far my favorite) fast.

voila!

addendum:—the "how" part:

i try to avoid talking about how i go about cooking, because i'm pretty sure that my technique is terrible, but since mom asked…

heat the pot at medium heat, and give it a little squirt of pam.
toss in the veggies, seasonings, and about a half cup of the broth.
start fixing mike and sam's dinners (because they don't eat my tasty soups—which means more for me, so yay). the veggies should be getting good and cooked down in that broth. if you need to add more liquid, do so at any time.
at some point remember that you're making soup. throw the lentils and tomato paste in the pot and stir until the tomato paste is mixed in.
add the rest of the broth, stir, and let it simmer.
back to mike and sam's dinners (probably 10 minutes or so, though i'm not sure).
add the water, stir again, and let the soup sit on low until you're ready to eat (it usually takes between 5 and 10 minutes for the boys to make their way to the table, but i'm guessing the soup is ready before then.)

bib for alice

2011-02-06T16:32:00.007-05:00

i finally finished alice's bib just in time for her birthday.

i had this cut and waiting to sew since missy's first announcement because i was really, really hoping i'd get another niece. and i know that missy's got quite a few of these bibs from mom (and probably some she made on her own), but i had to make one for little alice myself. i hope she'll make good use of it. it looks like it will work well for chocolate pudding or strawberry yogurt, though it will be good at catching spit-up/drool while she's still on her way to table food. it will be making it's way south shortly.

welcome to the family alice!

ps - you can download a pattern for the bib here.

getting ready to party

2011-02-06T16:20:00.002-05:00

sam is turning two this week. which means decorations are going up, gifts are being wrapped, and cake baking is on the to-do list.

sam at almost two

2011-02-06T16:15:00.006-05:00

and speaking of sam turning two, here are a few recent photos of the little rockstar (taken with the new camera, of course).

he sings, he dances, he rocks our world.

photos from around the house - trying out the new camera

2011-02-06T15:48:00.004-05:00

a couple weeks ago we invested in a new canon rebel 2ti, and i've been playing around with it.

recent drawings

2011-01-18T09:34:00.006-05:00

a recent drawing for daily dose of reading, who wanted a new mascot (a caterpillar named pal—standing for play and learn).

and a drawing that was emailed out to invite family for sam's second birthday.

yes. the little mouse is turning two. it's insane. i know.

new cookie recipes to try

2011-01-08T22:11:00.003-05:00

on friday i baked up a few new (to me) cookie recipes that got glowing reviews from sam (my official non-nut cookie taster) and the members at church.

if you're looking for a good bar cookie recipe (i'm always looking for a good bar cookie recipe), you may want to try one of the following (found via allrecipes.com):

magic cookie bars

ingredients

1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

directions

preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
into bottom of 9 x1 3 pan pour melted margarine. sprinkle crumbs evenly over melted margarine, chopped nuts over crumbs, then distribute chocolate chips over nuts. add the coconut and pour milk over all.
bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. cool 15 minutes before cutting into finger length bars.

delicious raspberry oatmeal cookie bars

ingredients

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

directions

preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.
combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.
bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. allow to cool before cutting into bars.

pecan pie cookie bars

ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, divided
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 large egg, beaten
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

directions

heat oven to 350 degrees F. spray bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. in large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar and butter. spread on bottom of prepared pan. bake for 20 minutes.
in medium bowl, beat together egg, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and remaining brown sugar. stir in pecans. pour on top of baked cookie layer. bake 25 minutes. cool. cut into bars. store leftovers covered at room temperature.

(photo: pecan pie cookie bars)

head trauma or what sam now has in common with harry potter

2011-01-08T21:43:00.004-05:00

we had an exciting beginning to this first week of the new year…a glorious adventure to the emergency room! actually, it wasn't glorious, but it was an adventure. one that i'm sure i don't want to repeat (but probably will).

monday afternoon, after sam's diaper change, he was (as usual) playing "run! run!", which means he was running around like his nutty self waiting for me to come and catch him. he was in our room when i caught him (but didn't scoop him up—and i'm regretting that i didn't) when he tumbled over his own feet and banged his head against the metal handle on mike's dresser. at first i assumed it was another bonk on the head (one of many), and i went to scoop him up and try to kiss it better, when i noticed it was bleeding. and (as i learned later) headwounds know a few things about bleeding. blood was everywhere. so i ran into the bathroom, trying to minimize blood on me and him and everything that isn't easily wiped with a damp cloth, and had him lean over the bathtub while i wrestled with him to let me stop the bleeding. i thought i did pretty well (under the circumstances) of keeping cool as i cleaned him up and got him calmed down. he was calm (or at least not crying) within a few minutes, and i was able to stop the bleeding and get a bandaid on his head so that i could get the rest of him cleaned up. as i mentioned earlier, headwounds know how to bleed, and there was blood all over his hands (i think this was part of what scared him so badly) and blood on his shirts (and the floor and on me and puddled in the bathtub…) we changed his shirts (which i put into the sink to soak), and took him down so i could call the pediatrician.

we got a call into the doctor and he said that if the skin was not touching (it wasn't), that we should go to the emergency room. this was about 4:10 or so, and i knew mike would be home sooner than we would, so i called him at his office to let him know what happened and where we were going.

sam was quite calm through all of this, but i was struggling to keep him busy so that i could get him out the door, so we put mike on the speakerphone (sam was very excited about being able to hold the phone and talk to daddy), got out the door, and drove to the ER–with mike on the phone with us the whole way.

at this point, let me just say that i love my new phone more than ever.

at the ER sam was most interested in the bed that was shaped like a truck with steps and the fancy toy that was in the waiting area (that he didn't get to play with because i was more worried about the gaping hole in his head more than having a good time). we got to sit in a very "fancy bed" and he got to work the remote for his own personal tv while we waited for the doctors to come check him out. we were glad to find out that he wouldn't require stitches—just glue. mike showed up soon after sam got checked, and sam was greatly relieved to see him (as was i).

holding sam down to get glued was very traumatic for all of us (this was the point where i really lost my cool), but sam perked right up when he realized that he was being handed a yummy popsicle and there would be no more messing with his sore head.

by bedtime, he was back to his normal self.

i am still paranoid every time he takes off running.

the photo is from two days after the incident. if you didn't know about what had happened, you'd barely notice that sam's head has been glued back together. luckily he's not humpty dumpty.

note: i just wanted to say that it's clear that sam's head is still working quite well. yesterday i heard him counting to himself and he was able to get up to nine all on his own! not too bad for a 23 month old.

zoo trip

2010-12-31T17:18:00.006-05:00

one of our christmas gifts from grandma elaine and grandpa john was a year family pass to the zoo, so yesterday afternoon when mike got home early from work (and sam was all napped and perky) i thought it would be fun to head over there for an hour or so. afterall, beyond the gas it takes to get there, it was free entertainment. so off we went.

sam was quick to locate his favorite animal—the north american cherry-picker. i was glad it was caged, because i'm almost certain sam would have tried to pet it.

after that, we hopped onto the tram and rode up to the fish/primate/cat building, where sam was most excited to see all the fish.

then we had a little fishy-snack (goldfish crackers) while we rode back down.

it was a short visit, but it was a good outing for an afternoon, and we're certainly hoping to go back again soon.

stuffed animals

2010-12-31T16:59:00.002-05:00

i also decided to give stuffed animals a try. they turned out a little odd, and not quite what i wanted, but it was fun to try. i definitely think my technique needs a bit of help (perhaps some construction instruction is in order), but i sort of like the fact that they're a little quirky.

i made a white rabbit for alice (or baby jones who we are all assuming will be an alice), since i thought she would need someone to explore wonderland with. for sam, i made a little monster (see other monsters for sam here and here). you'll recognize the fabric, of course.

other things i did during my "holiday break"

2010-12-31T16:39:00.003-05:00

i finally got around to making this pillowcase for sam's little pillow. it was a fun project one afternoon while sam and i were hanging out at home. it took me a while because i didn't bother to pull out the sewing machine (it's hard to use a sewing machine when you're humoring a two-year-old who wants you to sit in his "mouse house" fort for four hours), but i was able to cut and sew it all before mike came home from work that day, so not too bad. i used leftovers from sam's halloween cape and a piece of the striped fabric from various other projects (this, this, and this are a few of them). the only problem with this project was that when i finally got it done, sam wanted the old spongebob pillowcase he was used to. so much for cute color-coordination.

happy holidays - cards from the nordstroms

2010-12-31T16:31:00.004-05:00

here is the seventh swan a-swimming. in truth, i still have a few that still need to be mailed out (because i forgot to bring them when i had the chance to hand deliver them. on multiple occasions. ooops.) but they were done in time for christmas, so i'm considering them a success. i'll also admit that the design is practically the same as last year, which made them easier to do, and the use of mom and dad's "robobot" (as sam calls it) to do the cutting made them quick and (almost) painless.

i'm already thinking about next year's design, and have some ideas. i do believe, however, that i may have to enlist my father to help me with the mechanics.

you can see a couple of the previous years here and here.

this year's christmas cards (from the pilgrim press)

2010-12-31T16:16:00.005-05:00

i worked up these quickie cards for pilgrim press to send out for the holidays.

since our logo is a red ship (the mayflower, to be exact), i thought i'd do a take-off on i saw three ships come sailing in. apparently i'm the only one at work that was familiar with this song, but they were agreeable and let me do my thing (that's what you get when people are pressed for time and ideas—free reign!).

it took me about a day to design, and about half a day to print, cut, fold, and stuff 150 of these. we did a special order for the blue envelopes, and after they arrived (from thepapermillstore.com), i adjusted the color on the card to match.

i thought they turned out well.