The Purge Principle

On Friday, Lauren and I went through all her 'artwork' from this year, and purged a significant portion. It was an interesting process - and she actually did most of the sorting herself.  Look at the big recycle pile (on the right) that we came up with :)

Right Now | Sept 2011

Lauren (age 4): Afraid of bees. Hula hoop queen.  Learning to read.  Pours her own milk.  Likes puzzles and games. Will only wear dresses.

Cole (age 2):  Loves strawberries. Idolizes 'Lore-yen'.  Is into matchbox cars and Thomas trains.  Loves to wear his 'snazzy' (button down) shirts.  Wants to do everything himself.  

Sugar in the Morning

On Sundays, we usually have one 'special' breakfast item - smoothies, pancakes, etc. A few weeks ago, I was a bit tired of pancakes, so I made Lauren an offer I was sure she wouldn't refuse - waffles, chocolate waffles. Unfortunately, Cole did not partake (although he seemed perfectly content with his frozen waffle).


This week I searched for a dairy/egg-free version so Cole could enjoy too, and found this recipe for Chocolate Banana Vegan Waffles - which uses a banana, olive oil, dairy-free milk, whole wheat flour, and a little maple syrup and brown sugar.  I made a few modifications (used vanilla soy milk, doubled the cocoa powder, and reduced the amount of olive oil slightly), and it turned out quite well.  Next time I'll probably double the recipe (so there are plenty of seconds!).

Drink Up

I've been wanting to make sangria ever since seeing the spread in a recent issue of Everyday Food. Used this raspberry-mango sangria recipe, but with a few substitutions - used sliced oranges and strawberries for the fruit, and triple-sec in place of the raspberry liquor. It was the perfect accompaniment to our Labor Day meal of grilled burgers, corn, and potato salad. The kids even got their own alcohol-free version.

The Routine

After tucking Lauren in at night, while I stand at her bedroom door, we often have a conversation that goes something like this...

L: Mommy, do you have a meeting tonight?
Me: No.
L: Does Daddy have a meeting?
Me: No.
L: Are you going out tonight [to workout at the Y]?
Me: No.
L: Is Daddy going out?
Me: Yes, probably.
L: Can you tell Daddy that if the cats are meowing to please tell them not to meow? Because I need to focus on going to sleep. Can you tell him?
Me: Yes, I'll tell him. Good night, Lauren.
L: Good night, Mommy.

Sometimes she also asks which room I'll be going to once I shut her door. Whatever it takes :)

The Beach

A digi layout of our trip to San Diego earlier this month. Boy, both kids just loved the beach, and could've stayed all day. Stew and I on the other hand, think sand is evil :)

template: paislee press press plate no. 26
paper: ehstudios greystreet paper2
embellishment: nina celebrations heart2

R is for Rabbit

We play a lot of the 'Letter Game' around here - where one person picks a letter, and everyone takes turns saying a word that begins with that letter. It's great for passing time during a car ride or waiting for food at a restaurant, and I find it especially great for diffusing a meltdown or other sticky situation. Lauren comes up with all kinds of words we had no idea she knew - and for some reason is particularly good at the letter 'Y'. Cole just chimes in with whatever word is on his mind (usually 'garbage truck'), and occasionally gets a match with the chosen letter :)

Ziti and Summer Veggies

Tried this Cooking Light recipe for Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies last week. I love recipes prepared with lots of fresh veggies, and you could sub in your other favorites too (might add some mushrooms next time). I also used whole wheat pasta.


The final product - all cheesy and bubbly. I pulled out some of the pasta mixture prior to adding the egg/cheese, and baked it with some panko crumbs on top for Cole. Of course he only ate the pasta, not the veggies. Still working on that.....

Growin' Up

JCPenney portraits taken back in July. (We've been doing these once a year, since they're so inexpensive when you apply those coupons that seem to pop up everywhere.) Lauren's still got a whole head-length over Cole, but I'm sure he'll catch up in no time :)

Whole Grains

My favorite snack of the moment - and the kids are crazy about it too. Pretty healthy, although I do add a wee bit of butter and salt....