July 4, 2012

Happy Fourth of July! Let’s share a few firsts. Teagan shucked her first ears of corn today. She was such a big help, getting all the husks of f, and even some of the silk.  Asking why the entire time.  Why can’t we eat the husks?  Why are there silk?  Why not eat the stem?  Can I have it now?  Eventually, she got two of the four ears done for me.  And was so happy to be helpful.  She was so excited and eager to eat the ear of corn she ended up licking an ear before I could stop her!

Ashlin had her first ear of corn. She’s always been a fan of corn, frozen corn that is. Until today, she’s never had an actual ear of corn.  She was a bit confused about how she should eat it, sucking on the two ends first, but she eventually got an effective bit down, and was able to eat about half the kernels off the cob.  She got super excited when I cut the rest off, signing “more” while I was getting some on a fork for her.

Teagan dug right in.

Though she needed a bit of prompting to actually finish eating her half ear. But then again, that’s par for the course with her at meal times it seems. Unless there are pancakes. We can’t eat pancakes all the time, so, yes, we coax and prod her to finish her small plate. A plate that has less than half the food that Ashlin eats while hardly stopping to breathe.

Granted, the mojito I had for an appetizer helped a lot!

June 28, 2012

Wow. It’s been a busy week! I do have to stop, show off my green and beautiful herbs. Herbs that I used in one of this weeks dinners.

Basil & Parsley

I made Aglio e Olio (again) but this time added julienned zucchini. This is where I found the recipe. I used a blend of my lovely basil and parsley. It turned out amazing.

Aglio e Olio e Zucchini!

Fresh herbs do make a big difference, even over the fresh herbs you can get in the store. They must have been sitting around for days, loosing some special essence. Plucked, washed and chopped, all within five minutes as the garlic is sauteing, is the best.

I am hording all the leftovers. Both of the girls really liked it too, and they may want more if they knew it wasn’t all gone!

She kept asking for more!

June 9, 2012

Yum!

The strawberries are early this year.  Thank you warm winter.  Picking season started last week for strawberries.  We went today, even with the light rain, met some friends and had a lot of fun.  We didn’t allow the rain to keep us away.

We haven’t taken Teagan, or Ashlin for that matter, picking berries before.  I’m not sure why we haven’t, though usually we’re running around with one thing or another.  I also like making jam so there’d be a use for all the berries I remember coming home with when I went picking as a young girl.  I’m not brave enough to seal the jam with wax, like my mom did, but canning can be fun.  Hearing the lids pop is such a wonderful sound.

Unfortunately, there weren’t that many berries today, not quite enough to can, but enough for some yummy breakfast/lunch/snack/dessert for us a few days.

Teagan needed a little coaching, (only pick the red ones), but she ended up doing a great job.  Stu ended up picking more than I did, but I blame Ash.  We let her walk around and I needed to be keep pulling her away from the green berries.  She didn’t understand why they wouldn’t be good to eat straight from the runner.  She also wanted to pick rocks and straw, which don’t taste as good as a strawberry picked 10 seconds ago, warm from the sun.

Both girls ate their weight in strawberries today.

I think you have something on your chin

You’ve got red on ya

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May 18, 2012

Brownies!  With chocolate chip cookies on top!  Teagan asked for brownies for her birthday.  And cupcakes.  And cake.  These will have to do, with the cupcakes I made last night.  I may need to make another batch, but it can wait until tomorrow night.

The pink cupcakes were a big hit.  Teagan was very surprised to see that they were pink, and not white or yellow like most of the cupcakes she’s had before.   It’s fun to surprise her like that.

Hopefully tomorrow works out well.  The trip to the zoo, with the brownies as the surprise.  I’m sure that the new Galapagos turtle exhibit, that she doesn’t know is there, will blow her mind.  Turtles are one of her favorite animals, so seeing such big ones will be nifty.

We’re also going to be converting her bed tomorrow, after morning quiet/nap time.  I hope that we’re doing the right thing, that she is ready for a big girl bed.  We’ve been trying to impress upon her how she needs to stay in bed, if she has a big-girl bed, when it’s time to sleep.  Hopefully, the pink blanket, and pillow, will be awesome too.

She also talked about giving up her bubbles on her birthday.  I’m not sure if that will be too much change, too much new, for her or not.  We have listened to the “Bye, Bye Binkie” song that Elmo sings.  I’ve even caught her singing it to herself, where I’ve never heard her do that with anything other than “Row Row.”

She’s such a big girl now.  I can’t call her my baby.  She won’t let me.

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May 17, 2012

I baked tonight. Strawberry cupcakes with star shaped sprinkles for my little girl who is turning three on Saturday. They’re for her to bring in to day care. She asked for cupcakes and brownies. She’s getting cupcakes tomorrow. I won’t be responsible for sugaring her classmates up that much. I’ll make her some brownies for Saturday.

I can’t believe she’s three already! It has really flown by.

I hope she enjoys her pink cupcakes. They did pass tonight’s quality check, so should be head blowing for a three year old.

I do need to learn how to frost.

May 12, 2012

It was a beautiful day, so we went to a nearby Renaissance Faire.  Teagan was very uneasy, scared, as we walked in.  She did not talk to anyone, even to compliment them on their nifty shoes or lipstick, as she normally does.  She did not want to walk, but be held by Stu.  He carried her for a bit.  Eventually she got brave enough to walk, glued to his side.  After about 20 minutes, she was fine.  Hugging strangers as they walked by, although she was still a bit uneasy about the maurading knights.  I think she ended up hugging four people over the course of the afternoon.  She likes to make friends.

It was a small faire, only the third year, so not a big event yet. They still had some great food booths – fried pb&j anyone? – and a joust, along with some archery that I don’t remember from the fall faire.

The girls ended up having a blast. Teagan wanted her own fried pb&j sandwich, though was appeased with a few pieces of mine and half a hamburger.  Ashlin clapped for the knights.  Both knights.  She didn’t care who won, she loved watching them charge by on their horses.

Teagan made friends with a family nearby, a 3.5 year old boy and an almost year old girl.  The baby was sleeping, the mom and the boy up by the rope demarking the list.  The dad humored Teagan, chatting with her and thanking her for the spontaneous hug and kiss.

She’s such a sweet girl, I dread having the “stranger danger” talk, that I know we need to have.  We did set ourselves up for the hugs today, though.  Trying to compensate for her fear and trepidation, we told her that everyone was nice. That she didn’t need to fear any one there.  We’ll need to moderate that in the future, I’m sure.

As we were leaving, we passed a group of dancers.  Both girls were interested, Teagan asking to watch, Ashlin doing her happy-kicky-feet and pointing.  Teagan and I sat and watched for a bit, while Stu rolled Ashlin to some almost-shade out of the way and watched too.  As the ladies danced, Teagan started trying to follow along.  It was so cute.  She asked why their bellies were showing, and I explained that they were belly dancers, and that was their dress-up costume. She then pulled up her shirt and danced.

We may need to go to the fall faire to see how both girls do.  Teagan wanted to dress-up, so maybe then we can have her go in her fairy dress, with wings.  And we could bring her dancing sticks.  Why not go all out?

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May 9, 2012 ~ Baked Pancakes!

Sunday we had brunch.  Baked pancakes!  I had first made them a few weeks ago.  During a walk we took while Stu mowed, Teagan asked especially for them.  I guess they were a hit.

Hot from the oven

Berries and Cream

Ashlin ready to dig in

Teagan worried Ashlin will eat hers

The recipe is super easy.  Most things are in the house all the time, even the berries.  Whipped cream is easy to come by too, especially with the whipped cream maker.  One of the best kitchen gadgets around.

The only problem is that I only have four baking dishes.  And you always want one more.

We may need to do brunch more often.

 

May 2, 2012

She’s so big

She’s so big!  This morning I left her in the young toddler room as the normal caregiver for her room wasn’t in yet.  She was quite excited too!  She did the happy kicky feet thing as I strapped her in.  And that was without any food in front of her too!

The caregiver asked if she needed breakfast.  Well, duh.  Of course she did!  It had been a whole 10 minutes since she had last eaten!  She was starving!  Wasting away.  She was given a plate of waffles (already cut up, oh well) and chipped peaches.  And a fork.  She was in heaven.  Bliss.  More happy kicky feet action.  She didn’t even notice me leaving.

She hasn’t done any more walking – that we know of – since Saturday.  They won’t be moving her over to the young toddlers any time soon.  But she may visit every now and then, once she does.

Eating Waffles

She’s growing up so fast.

~~

It’s been a rough few days here.  The tummy bug that Ashlin had Saturday made its way through the entire house.  Stu first, then me, then Teagan.  Neither Stu nor I are quite right, yet.  Yes, we are the house of plague.  Teagan wasn’t entirely sure why she was feeling so bad, but she was glad she wasn’t throwing up any more.  Throwing up in her sleep really upset her.  Rightfully so.  She snuggled in the morning, and then after a three hour nap, she asked to go to day care.  She was feeling much better, but we were feeling green, oh, so green.  Yes.  We let her go (Stu drove her in).  We are bad parents.  The kind of parents that you hate, but she’d been puke free for at least 4 hours,  and had oh, way too much energy for me, and Stu to deal with.  We figured that since she’d been there the day before, everyone was already infected, if she was contagious.  And those few hours she was there were lovely.  I slept most of it, and felt almost ready to deal with her and her sister.  Well, except for heating up their dinner.  That I couldn’t do.

Today, the grown-ups are still a little queasy, the young-uns just fine, though Teagan’s appetite is still a bit diminished.  Ashlin?  Well, she could eat the horse, and the saddle, and the shoes…

 

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April 18, 2012 ~ Peeps for Poop?!

Yesterday Teagan didn’t have an accident.  As a reward, we went for a walk – Teagan gathered treasures* – and, after dinner, was given her first peep.  Ever.

Once her head reattached, Stu had an interesting time trying to explain Peeps to her.   She loved it.  How could she not?  It’s marshmallow-y goodness covered with sugar.  And cute chocolate wax eyes.  I wish I had been downstairs when she got her first taste.  I wish I had heard the conversation they had.

Again, tonight after I went up with Ashlin, Stu gave her another one.  Well, half of one.  She deserved it, she didn’t have an accident again!  Yay!  She devoured it.  And asked for another one, to which Stu said that maybe tomorrow she could have one, if she didn’t have “no accidents.”  She then asked if she got one for peeing in the potty.

“Yes, you get one for peeing.”  

“For poops?  Poops in the potty?”

“Yes,” Stu replied, “a peep for poop.”  

Teagan threw her head back and laughed.  From her belly.  “Daddy, you so funny!”  

Peep for poop!

* Teagan is incapable of walking past a rock, pine cone or stick, without picking it up.  She collects treasures on the walk.  As many as she can hold, plus at least one more.  I don’t allow them in the house, so they get left on the table outside the door.

Treasure!

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March 26, 2012

Today I had lunch at Jake’s Wayback Burgers.  I had a doctor’s appointment that was right around the corner from one that was freshly opened.

The reason I went to the doctor – the eye doctor – was because the baby shoved her finger in my eye yesterday.  And it hurt.  A lot.  When I woke up this morning  it wasn’t feeling any better.  It was very hard to open and was super sensitive to light.  I was a bit worried that maybe she had scratched it or something.

Google helped me find an optometrist not too far away who was able to fit me in today.  Turns out that Ashlin hadn’t scratched my eye, but there was trauma.  He prescribed an antibiotic and cortisone drop, and after two doses my eye felt much better.  It was also much less red.  Added bonus of the eye drops is that my vision seems much better, almost back to normal.  It had been blurry since being pregnant with Ashlin.  Same thing happened with Teagan, and it eventually got better. You gotta love the weird pregnancy side effects.  Some of the reason my vision is still a bit blurry so far out from Ashlin’s birth is due to the sleepless nights.  Yay dry eye.

Anyway, my treat was to go to Jake’s.  It was lovely.  I got a black and white milkshake, a small fry and a cheese burger.  The burger was wrapped in butcher grease paper.  The fries were served in a cup.  The milkshake was so thick it wouldn’t go up the straw, which flattened as I tried.  Very lovely.  The fries and burger were pretty good, much better than Micky D’s.  Maybe not as good as Five Guys, but damn, totally hit the spot.

I could go for another milkshake.  Soon.