Macey--11 Months

*Can't believe my little girl is almost 1!
*Can't believe what an "easy baby" she has been!
*Can't believe how much I adore watching her interact with her brother & sister!
*Can't believe she will soon be walking! Macey Facts:

• Macey is standing on her own, cruising along furniture, walking behind push toys, and walking on her knees (no walking on her own yet).
• She continues to be a very BIG eater--some of her favorites include: pasta (mac & cheese, sphaghetti), any kind of fruit, chicken, mashed potatoes (she kept stealing them off of our plates on Sunday!), oatmeal, & crackers.
• She hardly nurses anymore... I've been making her nurse a few times a day so we can make it to a year to start cow's milk. This month I've been weaning her off her pacifer during the day to try and get her to nurse more--it's not helping too much :(
• She LOVES bathtime. She has been going in with Sadie & Kinnick more often and she loves playing with them!
• She communicates A LOT! She signs: more & all done consistantly and we are now working on please & thank you. She says: more, mama, dada, bye bye, ni-night, & Hi. She also waves.

Conversations with Sadie... and Kinnick (#2)

Sadie:

• (When getting dressed to play in the snow) "Mom, why do snow boots make your feet feel all mudgy smudgy when you put them on and you're still inside?"
• Me--"Sadie would you like to help me make some bread?" Sadie--"Yes! What kind of bread are we making? Is it daily bread?" (As in give us this day...)
• Overheard today at breakfast: "Macey would you like me to tell you a Bible story? When God made the world, it was a dark and empty place and then he made light to fill the space (from a story book), and then he made water and land and a sun and moon and stars and then he made flying birds and swimming fish and LOTS of animals. Isn't that a good story Macey? Macey did you know that God teaches us how to obey our parents? If we read the Bible, He tells us. These are the things you can't do Macey (as she demonstrates each on herself): hitting, biting, pulling hair, smacking, pushing, I think that's all. We have to be kind to our brothers and sisters and our friends. God teaches us how to be kind, share toys, and obey adults. Don't you want to learn those things Macey?"

Kinnick:

• Me--"Kinnick you're being very bossy today, it's not nice to be bossy." Kinnick (with eyebrows furrowed)--"I'm not bossy, I'm Kinnick!"
• (Outside in the garage, Kinnick points to the grill) "Daddy's Oven!"
• Me (to Sadie)--"You're such a mini-mommy!" Kinnick smiled, so I said to him--"Are you a mini-daddy?" He thinks for a minute and responds, "No! I'm Mickey Daddy!"
• (While changing his diaper) Me--"Do you want to take a nap?" Kinnick--"No! I don't like naps anymore." (He also tells me frequently "I don't like time-out!")
• We were at my parents this weekend and my dad heard him (during nap time) saying "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Later when I went in to check him I asked him why he was saying Ouch! His response--"I was touching a porcupine!"

Lunch Time Ideas

According to most health/nutrition experts kids should NOT eat: chicken nuggets, fish sticks, hot dogs/corn dogs, lunch meat, soup/sphagettios from a can, frozen pizza... you get the point--most "kid-approved" choices. We do try to stay away from most of these things or limit them to rare occasions; therefore, I've had to become more creative for our every day lunches!


Here are some of the things my kids like to eat:

• PBB&J Roll-Ups (Peanut Butter, Banana, & Jelly)--Spread a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and jelly (we get the reduced sugar kind and it's so much less sticky!) and roll it around a banana. Kids can eat it whole or cut into slices.
• "Fancy" Macaroni--I start with whole wheat pasta and add some shredded cheddar with a little milk. Next I stir in different veggies (chopped or purred) and chunks of chicken. (This is a great way to use leftover meat/veggies!) My kids get excited to eat it b/c we call it "fancy"!
• Quesadillas--I make all different kinds of quesadillas. I usually start with some sour cream and then add chicken, veggies (broc, carrots, peppers, corn, etc.), black beans, and cheese. We also make breakfast quesadillas--sour cream, scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, cheese & veggies.
• Chicken or Tuna Salad--We make a chicken salad with chunks of chicken breast, green grapes, pineapple, light mayo, and peanuts. We make tuna salad with bbq sauce. We eat these with crackers or deli thins.
• Mini-Pizzas--I start with whole wheat bagels or whole wheat deli thins, top with traditional toppings (sauce, meat, cheese) sneak on veggie toppings (corn, grated carrots, chopped mushrooms or peppers) OR make bbq chicken pizzas w/ chicken, corn, bbq, and cheese.
• I make my own marinara sauce with LOTS of veggies. Sometimes I start with a jar of sauce but have also made it from scratch. I add pureed cauliflower and carrots and chopped mushrooms, peppers (green & red), and tomatoes. Sometimes I add sausage or hamburger. I also add in fresh herbs that we have on hand. I freeze it in meal-size portions that I can pull out and pop in the microwave.
• I make soup about once a week (all different kinds). I always make a double batch and freeze the leftovers in meal-size portions that I can pull out at lunch time.
• We make our own chicken nuggets and fish sticks! For the breading, a use a combination of panko bread crumbs (I think they work better than regular), ground flax seed, and wheat germ. (Sometimes we smash up goldfish crackers to add to the mix!) Dip your chicken chunks or fish sticks in egg (you can add mayo/ranch/etc. for flavor) and toss in breading mixture and bake! It's really that easy! Fish needs to bake at 425 for only about 10 minutes. Chicken takes longer (30-50 minutes depending on the size of your chunks) at a lower temp (350-375).

These are fish sticks and cauliflower nuggets that we made yesterday: I used this recipe for the nuggets, but swapped cheddar cheese for the recommended parmesan. They tasted fried (but they really were baked!) These fish sticks were from a kids cookbook. Mix 1 T. lime juice and some lime zest with 1/2 c. light mayo. Reserve half of mixture for dipping sauce and add 1 T. relish to eat. Add 1 egg to the other half and use it to dip the fish (we used tilapia, cod also works well!) in. Use breading mixture described above. My kids gobbled them (and also loved the lime tartar sauce!)

Family Fun Day

Marc had MLK day off. Our day started like this... and ended like this...

With LOTS of fun in between!! The kids helped me make some stuffed french toast from a kids cookbook we checked out from the library. It was very yummy:

After breakfast, Sadie and Kinnick watched a cartoon while Marc and I got ready for the day. I love seeing them sit together in the chair!

I had some free passes to the Children's Museum in Bloomington and we decided it would be a great day to use them! We packed a lunch and loaded up. We got to the museum just before noon. Sadie remembered coming here with Grace, Faith, and Titus & Hannah last year. She actually guessed that we were going here with hardly any clue-giving!

Sadie had fun doing the "hands-on" activity (making a color wheel).

All the kids loved the water table (of course!) Even Macey was excited to get in on the action.

I'm not sure who loved this train table more...

I LOVED watching him play at this exhibit--I could really just sit and watch him for an hour!

Macey loved the baby dolls... I wonder what she'll get for her birthday?!?

This was my favorite picture of the day--Dr. Dad checking out the kids!

Sadie & Kinnick loved the painting exhibit. Kinnick did not try to eat the paint this time, but he did try to suck water out of the big water tray (and got paint in his hair)--I guess that's an improvement!

The third floor has been all re-done since our last visit, so we spent time making sock puppets, performing, making music, and or course dancing in the dance room!

Macey agrees--a fun time was had by all.

After the museum, we headed to Wal-Mart to do some shopping. The kids did a good job, but were getting cranky by the end. We planned to stop at McDonalds on the way home--we went to one with a play place only to realize that the play place was outdoors (my mistake!) The kids had fun anyway. We got home early... baths and pj's for the kids and Marc and enjoyed Chipotle on our own!

Ham Balls

This is a family favorite recipe (both from mine and Marc's families!) It's one that a lot of people haven't heard of or tried necessarily... but once you have them you're hooked (usually!) I've been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time--Enjoy!

• 1 lb. each ground ham/ground pork
• 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs (I use one package)
• 3/4 c. milk
• 2 eggs

You will likely have to go to a meat locker to find ground ham and ground pork (although you may be able to get it at a larger grocery store (just ask at the meat counter.) Mix ingredients together and form into balls. To get even sized balls you can try using a scoop or pat your meat into the approximate size of your pan and cut it into even sections... Like this: Form each section into a ball and place in a 9x13 baking dish. I usually make 24-32 meatballs. One pan is more than enough for our family (currently!) so I split it into two dishes. I bake one and freeze the other for later. I also frequently make this meal when I take dinners to other people--depending on their family size, I can make a pan for them and a pan for us. When the meatballs are done, make this sauce to pour over the top:

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. tomato juice
• 1 t. mustard
• 1/4 c. vinegar

Combine ingredients and boil for 5 minutes, while whisking. (I also do this in the microwave 3-4 minutes.) When sauce is done, pour over meatballs and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Meatballs will get darker on top. *Note* If you decide to freeze you can form balls, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes--toss them into a zip lock bag for easy storage. Add sauce right before baking.

I Love Clearance Shopping!

I was able to get all this stuff for next winter for the kids for under $80... (avg--about $3.50 per item!) This was all from Kohls clearance & Bergners Yellow Dot... I haven't even gone to my very favorite place to clearance shop (Children's Place).

These matching dresses for the girls for next Christmas were originally $65 (which probably equals $40 at Kohls, but I got them both for under $10!)

I also got 4 Christmas books (for the kids and for a gift for next Christmas) for less than $10!

Henry Christmas

My family came New Year's Eve/New Year's Day to celebrate Christmas. It was fun hosting and great to be together. Times when all of us are together are fewer and further between--so it was a special couple days! My parents and Kassie came New Year's Eve and brought Jadyn and Jaren with them. We did some "low-key" celebrating... lots of food and games! The kids did have hats, but I failed to get a picture of them. We also had sparking juice, but failed to open it up!

Saturday morning was pretty low-key as well. We slept in and then worked on preparing brunch as waited for everyone else to arrive. My mom and Kassie made these gingerbread sucker people with the kids:

After Jack, Jessica, Jason, Trista, and Jordan arrived we ate a BIG brunch (while the kids were going crazy wanting to open gifts!) Next we opened presents, then we played games and relaxed while the kids napped and played with their new toys. It was a great day!

This picture cracks me up because I was trying to take a picture of Kinnick and Jaren playing with their new stuff--at the last minute, smiley Mace popped her head into my frame!

The best we could get of the five cousins!

2010

My Year was Filled with:

*Lots of Cuddles & Kisses

*A New Baby at our House!

*Asking for Advice

*Terrific Toddler Moments...

*And Terrible Toddler Meltdowns

*Messy Faces & Messy Hands

*Life Transition

*Spilled Drinks & Crumbs on the Floor
*LOTS of Teachable Moments

*Walks Outside

*Praying for Patience & Wisdom

*Baby Dolls, Trucks, & Dora Candyland

*Fun Times with Family & Friends

*Traveling

*Trips to the Library

*Hawkeyes, Cubs, & Bears

*New Experiences

*Graham Crackers & Suckers

*Books, Books, & More BOOKS

*And also some Books for ME

*Learning from my Mistakes

*Lots of "Why Mommy?" Questions

*Taking Pictures (and Blogging about them!)

*Phone Calls with Friends

*Playing at the Park

*Nursing

*Adjusting to Life with 3 Under 3

*Dora & Mickey Mouse Club House

*Sad Good-Byes

*Bible Stories & Memory Verses

*Kids in the Kitchen

*Wiping Bottoms & Changing Diapers

*Looking Forward to the Next Adventure

*Grilling

*Birthday Parties

*Swimming (Inside & Out!)

*Working Out

*Tears (Mine & Theirs!)

*Loving All the Moments that Make Up our LIFE

Water Fun!

Last week (between Christmas and New Year's) felt like a vacation even though I'm not working this year... Marc had to work all week but we had a break from Sadie's pre-school and our usual church activities. We took advantage of some time to sleep in, play with friends, and enjoy new toys and games. On Wednesday, our friends Stephanie and Mikenna invited us to the Peru YMCA that has a mini "water-park" inside. I recruited some help (Ms. Jennifer and Kyra) so I could take all three of the kids. We had a blast! The Y was so nice (much bigger than the one we usually go to). The locker rooms/showers were also much nicer which was a big plus (because I usually spend just as much time in the locker room as we do swimming!)

Sadie enjoyed riding on the lazy river and running around with Mikenna. The area wasn't too big, so we pretty much let them play on their own. Kinnick LOVED going on the water slides. There was one open slide and one tube slide for little ones. For the tube slide, he had to walk up some stairs to get to the top. There was water squirting down so the first several times he went up backwards. Once he got the hang of it, he would put both hands over his eyes and walk all the way to top--it was so cute (and funny!) Here are some pictures from our fun day:

(We had blue floaties for Kinnick, but he insisted on the pink ones!)

Kinnick loved shutting himself in the lockers!

We swam from 12:30--3:00 and the kids hadn't had lunch yet, so we drove through McDonalds. Half way home Sadie said "Mom, Kinnick is asleep with his cheeseburger!" He was one tired little boy!

Cooking with Paula

I love watching the food network, but rarely turn it on. My mother-in-law had it turned on during their visit and I watched Paula Deen make these sweet potato donuts with maple icing... YUM! I've never made donuts before, but decided to give it a try! I recruited my two favorite (little) kitchen helpers and got started:

1--Peeling Sweet Potatoes: 2--Adding Other Ingredients:

3--Kneading the Dough:

4--Cutting out the Donuts:

5--The Finished Product:

6--Enjoying our Hard Work:

Note: I've never really fried anything before so the first donuts I put in were burnt to a crisp. I found that keeping the heat just above medium did the trick. My friend Jennifer also said that if you stick a wooden spoon in the hot oil and it bubbles, then it's ready... good to know! And by the way--they were DELICIOUS!