Birthday Boy!

James had a birthday! He is now a big boy! Three years old means you really aren't a baby anymore. Sad, but true. He's thrilled, I'm not. I like him as my little Jamesy-Baby.

James had his first birthday party with friends this year! His little boy cousins all came and had a super-awesome Spiderman party with James.

We played a duck-duck-goose variation, "spiderman, spiderman, green-goblin!" They were SO funny. We played freeze dance like at Naomi's party. The boys were super crazy and loved just running around.

Opening presents was so fun, the boys all crowded around and wanted to help and definitely wanted to help play with the new toys.

We had pizza and creamies and Spiderman Cupcakes! I was happy with how they turned out, the candles made them even better. James loved them and they actually looked like spider webs, phew!

At the end we had a Spiderman pinata, and party bags for all. It was so fun!
I wish I had taken more pictures at the party but the cupcake ones are cute enough.

James playing on his birthday at the playground while we waited for Naomi at ballet.

I like his shades, they are perfect for a party!

James getting ready to blow out the candles!

James is loving and sweet and crazy and tough. He loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses.

He loves to pretend he's flying in a rocket ship to outer space! Rocks, sticks, whatever he can find, becomes a rocket!

James loves wearing his 'froggy boots' and I love it too, he can get them on by himself.
He usually doesn't care what clothes I help him put on and he really doesn't like getting his hair done. He says he doesn't want to look handsome.

James loves to pretend he is a superhero, or a puppy, or a dinosaur, or dragon, or snake, lizard or Monster. Playing pirates is a favorite game and playing anything with his sister Naomi is fun.

James gets his "feelings hurt" easily if he gets in trouble. I sometimes find it hard to keep a straight face when I'm disciplining him.

He's my blue-eyed blond with kissable cheeks and a round little tummy. He loves to get "raspberries" on his tummy, (when I blow on it).

James's favorite foods are pretzels, olives, hot chocolate, red peppers and mushrooms.
He loves any treat I'll let him have.

The past three years with him have flown by, crazy fast. He was a very happy and easy baby, and so much fun! He would sleep anywhere and loved whatever food I gave him. He was a super chubby little love, with rolls and dimples everywhere. I loved it.

Now he's 3 and learning how to dress himself, and put his shoes on, and hopefully potty train soon, learns and sings songs, can count almost to 20 and is learning to write his name.
James is such a sweet boy and I'm so happy I get to be his mommy!
Happy Birthday (sweet baby) James!

Snow Day

Snowy fun with my little crazy kids!
Sometime in February here in our beautiful, snowy Cache Valley.

 

Her "Grandma Great" made for her that darling pink scarf. Naomi loves to wear it

Naomi is wearing my snowsuit from when I was a little girl. I don't know how waterproof it is, but it looks so sweet on her.

You can count on Naomi consuming large quantities of snow. It's just inevitable. So delicious :) 

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James was pretending that his arm was a crane or a tractor scooping and dumping the snow.
He was almost too busy to look at me while I snapped his photo.

Pea Soup

Naomi put this together over the course of several days. It consists of frozen peas, pine cone pieces, paper scraps, leaf pieces, salad supreme seasoning, a red feather.


She played pretend with it for a while, then one day she added water and had James try it.
He loved it.
I was a little late....
She claims he didn't eat any feathers or paper or pine cones. or Leaves.

Mummy Pizza!

Last night the kids and I made these spooky little snacks for dinner.
They were really a lot of fun to make, the kids loved helping, and they were so excited about eating them too.
We skipped on the the scallions. Because I hate them. And I am unashamedly influencing my children's tastes. Onions are gross.
Naomi found two olive ends so she could have x-ed out eyes for one of her mummys. And James really liked helping to make it but in the end ate mostly just cheese and olives.
For the recipe link, click here.
Happy Haunting!

Moon Dough

This stuff is totally cool. Kind of messy, but very easy to clean up. It's not wet, so it can't dry out. And it's soooo soft. The texture is almost powdery. When it's packed it feels like marshmallows.

I give it two thumbs up. Something new and fun to try! I bought mine at WalMart. 

Except for the part where...

Last Saturday I went to Gardeners Village with my sister Natalie, it has some fun shops and boutiques that I really liked. The quilt shop had so many lovely, beautiful and fun things.

Delish lunch at the Naborhood Bakery, a little bit like Great Harvest/Old Grist Mill. But some killer pastries. Yum.

Sassy Babies was awesome too, Teeny, tiny little shop but full of goodies. They had some Cake bags that are indeed gorgeous. But. they are so heavy. Cute hair clips, gave me new ideas, and lots of cute girl clothes.

This dress was exquisite. Really it was, it had beading all around the bodice and those tulle flowers were so sweet. I loved it so much I had to take a photo. Especially because I could never afford it, $200 +. Naomi would rock that dress.

Saturday morning I got up early, that's 7 a.m. for me. And picked up my Bountiful Basket. Right now I am swamped with fresh produce. Between the basket and food from my parents garden and the grapes Naomi just had to get at the grocery store today, my fridge is packed. We're eating it as fast as we can!

Tonight for dinner I made meatballs that were super yummy. That word is linked to the recipe. James pounded them. Naomi ate one, kinda. We had them with classic spaghetti and sauce. But then we added cucumbers, squash and beans to our dinner.

And the grapes. And we should have eaten tomatoes too.

And the cantaloupe.

I took this week off from bountiful baskets.

Also because I can't pick up anyway, I have my half marathon is on Saturday!!! Yikes. And Hooray!

I'm running tomorrow morning a good 4 or so miles and that's it until 7 a.m. Saturday. Send me good luck.

Today we made jello, and meatballs, and ran errands, and washed and folded clothes, and made cookie dough, and later cookies, and grocery shopped, and emptied garbages, and the kids got a bath, and now I need to frost some cookies and call it a day! It was a good one. Except for the part where I got mad at Naomi for waking James up from his nap. I was sorry and he went back to sleep anyway. Life with kids really is so great.

Today Naomi lined up on the window sill her Noah's ark turtles and the shrinky dink turtles she made with her Grandma Linda. It was a Turtle Family.

Naomi requested that I take a picture of her butterfly too. She also made this with Grandma Linda, and she keeps moving it all around that window.

Posers, Naomi does a pretty good kissy lips! Her hair in this photo is so awesome. So Naomi.

Random Things.

even Sick, he's so cute.

Today we were late for church. We all woke up late. James and Naomi are my alarm clock. So, we made it to Primary and Nursery. But James's face crumpled when I dropped him off at nursery. Poor baby. He reportedly pulled it together but just was a little out of sorts and kind of sad. So he was returned to his momma shortly before church was over.

Then during lunch he emptied his stomach. Cantaloupe from breakfast. Apparently he is not well yet. He had two and a half good days since he was sick Thursday morning. So this took me by surprise. He napped and then had some soothing applesauce and water. Yummy huh?

We stick to the B.R.A.T. diet when sick. Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast.

Anyway, a sick boy means simple food for everyone and lots of lounging around on the couch. Definitely no gym tomorrow. I have a race this Saturday, the top of Utah half marathon. I am not as prepared as I hoped to be and this week will prove to stay with the same trend.

Sigh.

I will finish, but not very quickly.

Also, I think I figured out what the problem I have with my knee is when I run long distances. IT band syndrome. Anyone know anything about it? I'm stretching it and paying attention to running on a flat surface and trying not to underpronate when I run. I think it helps a little bit. Also I got a strap to help stabilize my knee while I run. I felt good Saturday after my run so maybe that's a good move too.

The kids have been eating bananas and cheese and crackers while watching Dora, Diego, Word Girl, Dragon Tales, and, my personal favorite, The Electric Company. So I am here at the computer blogging.

I am trying, maybe unsuccessfully, to change my program for school. I was set to start a masters program in Family and Human Development in a week or so. Then I was having second thoughts about school and mostly about my choice of program. It being a bit generic and I want to be sure before I invest time and money (loans) into anything. What I would really like to do is the Professional School Counselor Education Program. So, be a school counselor. It's a two year, through the Summer program. 6 credits per semester and only one night a week. Perfecto. I did a short stint as an intern at my old high school alma mater during my undergraduate final semester. I loved it. I don't know why I didn't figure out that this is what I want to do sooner. But like they say, better late than never. So we'll see how things shake out this next week. Wish me luck. I would have to take a few prerequisites for this program, it's in the psychology department and I am missing a few essentials it seems.

But for other fun stuff. I like to online shop. Online fantasy shop. I have my eye on a new dress, but I question my nerve to actually wear it. To church I mean. Because where else does a girl like me wear a dress anyway?

It's Shabby Apple, what do you think? I am having a strange new liking for animal prints. Sometimes.

And then there's this one too, but maybe it's too... something, probably short. But I really like the look. Could I pull it off? Do I want to?

(I can't seem to copy a larger image of these dresses. So click the link if you need to actually see it, sorry.)

And then there are these. I've coveted a pair of Toms since I first heard about them. But, ya know. It's pricey, but it goes towards a good cause! So maybe eventually I'll get a pair, Christmas maybe? But THEN, they came out with these hot little numbers. Wedges. I heart wedges and peep toes and just heels in general. So these are probably more "essential" than the original Toms. So practical in a Northern Utah winter too, I know, I know.

Are they not so cute? I think I like Ash best.

And just one more thing to polish this off. I have a very favorite cookie recipe. It's from Peggy Cullen's "Got Milk? The Cookie Book" recipe book. I still have a handful of recipes to try, but the classic chocolate chip cookie is just that, a classic. Seems like I've posted this before, but it's worth a repost.

The Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened. NOT melted, that=flat cookies, fyi.

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Use the real stuff.

1 large egg. At room temperature.

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. (I add more, usually about 1/4 cup more, every time. It just needs to be the right consistency, not gooey, but not dry.)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (about 6 ounces) chocolate chunks or chips

1 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) large pecan or walnut pieces, or any nut you prefer. I usually use about 1/2 cup pecan gems.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula, and beat for a few more seconds.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks and nuts in a small bowl and stir into the cough.

4. Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. For perfectly uniform cookies, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2-inch-diameter ice-cream scoop, leveling the dough off across the top before dropping onto the baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

These are always so perfectly yummy.

Bake some cookies and Have a Happy week!

Sing to me Baby!

Here's some happy news, James is singing the ABC song. Currently. He's in his crib and has been for at least an hour and a half. He's not sleeping apparently. I put him down for a nap late and he decided that he would rather jump in his crib, and sing, and play than sleep. So I am blogging instead of napping. He just started singing the ABC's in earnest a few days ago. I just got from Naomi's book order, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, finally. And it's a huge hit. That book is interesting. It did something just right. Kids love it. And I'm always just a little surprised at how much. My kids are no exception. We've read it every night all week. At the end of the book (and at the beginning) there is a two page spread of the alphabet. So we sing it together a few times. James unfailingly will clap and say "yay!" when we finish. So cute. Naomi tells James she is "so proud" of him. That's so cute too.

I took a video of him singing other night, it's loud and he's hard to understand but it's pretty adorable. His learning is is so visible and measurable at this age, it's so fun to watch. He is talking and talking and talking. About everything. Naomi told me this the other day; "I'm so glad my baby can talk." So am I.

Update- James is sleeping now, I think. It's 4:04 p.m. Sweet. Nope, scratch that. He's just quieter.

James, James, James

My good friend Sarah took these seriously cute photos of my kids. She is amazing! I love how they turned out and I wanted to share!
Here's a set of Sweet Baby James. He's 2 years old and such a funny little boy. Stubborn, but mostly silly. All loves and cuddles

Hello Spring (summer)

We have been having the best weather here. The best, I tell you!
I've been to more playgrounds and parks this past week than is probably good for me. Actually, that's not really possible is it?
Today was bordering downright hot. Naomi was outside frolicking, literally, in a sleeveless sun dress and I put James in a little muscle shirt. He's so cute in anything, I swear.
This morning we went exploring a little bit of our nearby wilderness. Spring Creek runs along the road we live on and it's quite the animal attraction. Last week I saw some deer, several geese, a muskrat and a pheasant, all at close range. Today we were graced with the presence of a funny little muskrat (we think?) that was popping up and down from his burrow. Naomi insisted on giving it a few pieces of the bread she brought for the ducks and geese. She dropped them down his hole and we left it alone. She was tempted to put her hand down, until I told her that the dang thing would probably bite her if she did that. That convinced her.
We eventually gave up on the geese and ducks, they must have been hiding. We packed a lunch to take to first dam, at the mouth of Logan Canyon. There's always a flock of birds hanging out there. We fed all the ducks, geese and gulls and threw sticks in the water until I was too hot to stay any longer. I had to keep my eye on Naomi, she was determined that she wanted to go swimming in there. It's kind of gross. With all the bird poop and all. And it's cold. We did see a duck egg before we left though, almost the highlight of the trip!
We swung by Lowe's and got ourselves outfitted with a hose, watering can, several pots of varying sizes and one plant each of Lavender, Sweet Basil, an Orange Bell Pepper. The tag said that the bell pepper will produce after 70-80 days. I hope we get one little pepper, I'd be happy with that.
And Lavender! How exciting! I'm going to learn how to use it for baths, we could all use some relaxation.
Or course Basil is just awesome. I will have to learn some new recipes, it's just so pretty sitting there, saying "cook with me!" If you have a favorite recipe using fresh basil, let me know, I am always, always on the lookout for new meal ideas.
Naomi helped me pot all these plants and our sad little pansies we bought at the grocery store last week. They were borderline dead. I think they'll be ok though. I assigned Noami as the official Pansy Gardener. No drowning of the plants allowed. She asked me what "drowning" meant. Too much water sweetheart. We got really messy with the potting soil. Naomi helped pour in the soil and was especially helpful with the watering. We made a mess but it was really fun. Activities like that help me to learn patience with Naomi. I mean that I learn to sit back and let her do it, her way. I'm still learning though.
All the while James was supposed to be napping in his crib. He took an hour to fall asleep. All that water foul was pretty exciting! Then when I went to get him after he woke up I found that he had thrown everything from his crib on the ground, had a very messy diaper and had broken one of the crib slats. Seriously...
Nothing a little wood glue won't fix. But something about James is a little bit destructive. He doesn't' know his own strength. The slat was actually first fractured by Naomi, and we tried gluing it but the crack came apart again, and  yeah, then we put James in there without really fixing it. Ooopsy. But he went two years without finding the crack until today. then he broke the darn thing clean out. Sheesh. I have a feeling that this is something I had better just resolve to accept as part of parenting a boy.
I was able to go for a run this evening while Zach tackled getting the kids ready for bed. I went too far, and the problem with that is that you still have to get back home. Sigh. So I walked until I felt like I wasn't going to collapse. I've been getting soft running on a tread mill, road running is different, harder, but so much prettier.

So today was a really great day, I love being home with my kids, warmer weather makes all the difference. It's great to be outside so much more. And I know it's part of being a kid, but it still takes me by surprise just how strong the draw to get outside is for Naomi and James.
Welcome Summer!

This photo is not from today, but I love it.

Baby Animal Days!

Last week My mom came with me and my kids to Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville. We went early so we could spend all day there, letting Naomi and James see all they wanted to. It was so cold when we got there! I had the kids in double layer shirts, jackets and then coats, gloves and hats too. But I forgot sunscreen. I don't remember that I need that, even if it's cold!

We were there all day, by the time we went home it was much warmer, we had peeled off a lot of layers. It was such a fun day there. They really make it into a festival. There were all kinds of activities, a mini rodeo, experts on different animals. Crafts, bug collections from USU, and even the Easter Bunny!

We decided to meet the animals first.

These pygmy goats were pretty funny, they didn't seem to even notice the kids milling around their pen. They just kept looking for stuff to eat.

The ducklings were so sweet. No claws there. The volunteers/workers would hand the animals to the children, instructing them how to hold them to keep them safe and warm. They would switch out the batch of animals every 20 minutes or so to give the babies a break. My children included, the kids were pretty enthusiastic about holding these babies and I'm sure it's stressful on the animals.

Just look at his happy face, James loved these little "duckies".

The baby chicks were pretty cute too, but less snuggly. They were starting to get mature wing and tail feathers too, Naomi thought that was interesting, she wanted to know if they could fly yet and when they would be able to.

Here's my mom handing a little chick to Naomi, they had all colors of animals.

Oh the bunnies! Naomi was so excited to hold one of these, James too, in theory! Naomi just snuggled one right up and asked if we could have pet bunnies. Um, nope.

James was scared of the rabbits and their sharp claws didn't help. He got poked through his jeans and started a panicked cry. I tried to calm him down and keep the bunny calm too. No good. He got down and sat with Grandma, they held a bunny together and then suddenly that little stinker of a rabbit bit both of them on their fingers! James lost it, we got out of there and helped poor James stop crying. Traumatic experience, he's still talking about where the bunny bit him.... sigh.

Pony rides were next. And they were so fun! Naomi was a pro and picked the biggest pony to ride. They had helmets for them to wear. The ponies just walked around a few times and everyone was thrilled.

Happy rider.

Then we went to see the baby bears! Bear World from somewhere in Idaho brought down some black bear cubs. They were seriously the cutest things ever. My photo is grainy but I wanted to show them anyway. They looked like little teddy bears. They would crawl over and climb up on the trainer peoples laps. Awesome.

Choo-choo! This is a mini train that we took a ride on, the conductor plays it up and the kids just sit and wave and wave to everyone we passed. It's kind of like a ride at Disneyland. 

Naomi on the mechanical bull! She had a great ride and stayed on for the last "eight seconds" as the operator counted down for her. She says she "won"!

James getting up close and personal with the piglets. They were sleeping so James got down on his tummy to get a closer look, maybe try out the soft hay for himself.

This little calf was sweet and docile. It let the kids just pet and touch her without a problem. I was told it was between 1-2 weeks old.

We made it back to the ducklings for round two. Still in love with them. They were my favorite too. They have the coolest feet! I showed James and he kept telling me back that they had "webbed feet"!

Naomi waiting for her turn at Mutton Bustin'. Seriously, I was nervous for her to do this, but she was determined that she wanted to. They suited the kids up in a protective vest and helmet. Then they helped them onto the back of a sheep, told them to hold on tight and let the sheep go! These kids got tossed and went flying, rolling and a few were even stepped on a little bit. A good handful got up crying. Naomi watched it all and still was game. In the end the cowboy ran with her and caught her for a soft landing. Phew. I was nervous. She was thrilled and loved it. I might put her in the rodeo again this fall! Look at us turning back into country folk. What city?

Here she is, ready to ride!